


Ineffability

by EternalSurvivor



Series: Shinobi Don't Promise [7]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, Background Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Chuunin Exams, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, M/M, OC Free, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Summons, Teen Romance, Waterboarding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-08 10:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSurvivor/pseuds/EternalSurvivor
Summary: Team Inoichi tackles the Chunin Exam in Kumogakure while tensions between the villages rise.Iruka and Kakashi try to wade through the changing dynamics of their relationship.Where does the line between bonds and duty lie?
Relationships: Hagane Kotetsu & Kamizuki Izumo & Umino Iruka, Hagane Kotetsu/Kamizuki Izumo, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Shinobi Don't Promise [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1327112
Comments: 151
Kudos: 282





	1. Nomination

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than I wanted, but I've been really sick all week. So please excuse any spelling mistakes or anything that seems a little off. I hope the first chapter of Ineffability is enjoyable for all my wonderful readers regardless. <3

Dango-ya had become their go-to place when the team wanted a treat. Yakiniku Q was always delicious, but it was more of a full meal restaurant than a spot for a quick snack. There was Ichiraku Ramen, but Kotetsu wasn’t too fond of ramen, and Shushu-ya was more of an adult-oriented pub than a place for genin. So Dango-ya it was. 

The three genin squished on one side of the wooden bench, sitting opposite their jounin sensei. Summer was quickly passing by once more as July bled into the heat waves of August. Their team opted for mostly bagging muscle shirts and spandex shorts over top of their mesh armours outside of missions. It was just too hot for much more. 

Izumo’s leg brushed against Iruka’s as the two older boys flanked him on the bench. He always ended up in the middle, that’s how it had been since they first became a team over two years ago. Sometimes it was hard to think so much time had passed already. His team was as much a part of who he was as his relationship with Kakashi or his family -both birth and adoptive. 

“Are you going to order something other than chadango this time, Zumo?” Kotetsu leaned one elbow on the table and wiggled his eyebrows playfully at his best friend.

Blushing hard, Izumo crossed his arms over his chest. “I like tea flavours, what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, you just order it all the time. There’s never any variety to your tastes.” Kotetsu retorted as Inoichi fought to hold back a chuckle.    


Izumo puffed his cheeks out. “I know what I like, why change it?”

“I think what Kotetsu’s trying to say is that you’re very set in your ways,” Iruka added gently in an attempt to head off another squabble. Izumo hadn’t been taking Kotetsu’s teasing as good-naturedly lately as he used to. Iruka wasn’t quite sure why. “It’s predictable, but there’s nothing wrong with that when it comes to food.” 

“I’m not predictable,” Izumo protested without any real fire behind his words. He’d developed a rather fixed routine that he barely deviated from outside of his duties as a shinobi. Genma called it a  _ coping strategy, _ though Iruka didn't know for certain what his friend was coping with, his gut told him it had to do with the Kyuubi's attack. All of them had scars from that night, so he never pressed. Izumo would tell him in due time.

“Don’t worry about it,” Iruka waved off the conversation as their usual waitress made her way over to their table. 

“If it isn’t Team Inoichi, my favourite customers~” Shinko Inari had graduated from the Academy a year behind them. After the tragic death of her teammate Tenma, she’d retired from being a shinobi. That was fine. None of them judge her for her choice. The shinobi lifestyle wasn’t for everyone and she seemed happier now. “What can I get you cuties today?” 

Inoichi chuckled softly, his blue eyes gentle with the same warmth that filled them whenever Ino-chan was around -a paternal affection. “Some kusa dango for me today, please Shinko-chan.” 

Kotetsu poked his chest with a grin. “Kibi dango for me Shinko!” 

The former genin jotted the orders down on her notepad before turning to Iruka and Izumo. “Let me guess, chadango for Izumo-kun and,” she paused in thought, “maybe hanami dango for Iruka-kun? We still have a bit of the sauce left in the back from cherry blossom season.” 

Iruka bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "That sounds perfect." 

Ignorning the shit eating grin on Kotetsu’s face, Izumo smiled sweetly at Shinko. “You know my preferences so well.” 

“Great, I’ll bring the order out once it’s ready.” 

“Thank you, Shinko-chan.” 

Waiting until Shinko was out of earshot, Izumo reached around Iruka and smacked his best friend on the back of the head. “If you don’t stop it, Ko, I’ll turn you into a senbon pin cushion,” he threatened in a low hiss. 

"Hey!" Kotetsu whined and clutched his head.

Iruka snorted, unable to hold back his mirth any longer. Inoichi’s soft chuckle joined his much more bombastic laughter. “You’ve all grown into your own these last two years. As your jounin sensei, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Iruka’s face flushed so suddenly, he turned red right up to his ears. A quick glance to either side showed his teammates were every bit as flustered by the sudden praise as he was. “Ah, thank you, sensei.” 

“And that’s why,” Inoichi withdrew three application forms from his breast pocket and laid them on the table, “I've nominated all three of you to participate in the upcoming chunin exams.” 

The world seemed to stutter to a stop and zero in completely on those three papers. Iruka’s breath caught in his throat, excitement and disbelief warring with the giddy feeling rising in his chest. The genin couldn’t believe his own ears. This couldn't really be happening! Inoichi-sensei had nominated their team for the chunin exams?! He-He really did that? 

“Aw yeah!!” Kotetsu threw his hands up in the air with an excited whoop. “Sensei is the best!” 

The genin moved together, half vaulting over the table to tackle Inoichi in a messy hug. “Ack, boys!” Inoichi’s arms closed around the three of them, his half-hearted attempts at admonishment lost in a fond chuckle. “Not so loud, we’re in public.” 

“We’ll do our best, Inoichi-sensei!” Iruka pushed his face into the jounin's flak jacket, letting his teammates squish him in the middle of the bear hug. He didn’t mind. Being surrounded by his precious people was a wonderful thing. 

Ruffling each head of dark hair, Inoichi hugged them tightly but made sure everyone was back in their seats before Shinko brought their dango over. They thanked her politely before digging into their respective orders while Inoichi went over the details of the upcoming exam. 

“The chunin exams are being held in Kumogakure this round.” Opening up a small map of the Elemental Nations, Inoichi-sensei pointed out their destination. “We’ll have about a week to make any final preparations before departure. Travel will be with two other nominated genin teams and their sensei. The first leg will be on foot, then by ship the rest of the way.” He traced their course with his finger. “The journey takes several days between The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.”

His teammates nodded, all sense of horseplay pushed to the side. Iruka reached for their hands beneath the table. Kotetsu and Izumo automatically laced their fingers together. It would be their first time outside the Land of Fire. As nerve wracking as it was, Iruka couldn’t help the anxious excitement slowly building up inside him. The chunin exams! Their team was trying for chunin rank! Inoichi-sensei clearly thought they were ready or they wouldn’t be taking them. 

“Konoha currently has a peace treaty with Kumogakure, but there have been a few skermishes between our shinobi lately. Things are tense. Everyone is expected to be on their best behaviour. You’re representing Konohagakure and Hokage-sama during the exams, always keep this at the forefront of your minds.” Inoichi bit into one of his dango before continuing. “I’ve taken the team off active duty until we return. I want you to use the rest of the week to prepare and rest for the challenges ahead. Are there any questions?”

After a moment of deliberation, all three genin shook their heads.

“Very well, let’s enjoy the rest of our snack, shall we?”

* * *

Team Ro slipped into the Hokage’s office via the second-story window to find the ANBU operative Chital had already arrived. The two other members of Kakashi’s new team flanked him on either side as they knelt before the Sandaime Hokage. The promotion to ANBU Captain was still a fresh shock, but he accepted to keep the three of them together -Genma, Tenzo and himself. 

The summer, so far, had been… _surreal, _almost impossibly so. To say he wasn’t the most social of people was a grievous understatement. But that’s exactly what the last two months entailed -interacting with a lot of people. Navigating worried friends, a worried  _ family _ and whatever this thing between him and Iruka was developing into wasn’t easy. 

He was at a loss more than he’d like to admit. Having Gai, Tenzo, Yoshino  _ and  _ Shikamaru crying over him in the hospital made his stomach do weird flips Kakashi hadn’t even begun to analyze yet. Maybe he never would. Some things were best left untouched. 

Like the way Iruka looked at him lately.

Kakashi didn't know what to do with how those soft brown eyes made his heart pound.

Recovery fared relatively well with Kito overseeing his healing sessions. Kito Fuma was a medic-nin that specialized in treating ANBU operatives -both physically and mentally. Kakashi had been under Kito’s medical care since shortly after becoming Genma’s ANBU partner. Over the years, Kito built strong rapports with several ANBU operatives, himself included.

Despite his precious people fretting over his fingers, the head injury was what gave Kakashi the most trouble. It took multiple healing sessions over a two week period before he was finally well enough to be discharged into the Naras’ care. It wasn’t  _ ideal  _ but it got him out of the hospital. The lesser of two evils in a vague sense. 

Adapting to his new handicap was an ongoing process. Several hand seals proved ineffective with two missing fingers. Shikaku offered invaluable assistance in adapting the Dragon, Ox and Bird hand seals so he could still utilize ninjutsu without much difficulty. For that, he was grateful. Without those three seals, he lost over a third of his arsenal. Once they found something that worked for him, training progressed swiftly. Iruka and Yoshino both helped him practice the altered seals until he could manage on his own. 

He wasn’t _okay_ with the loss of his fingers, far from it actually. Kakashi was angry with himself for his own lack of power. When shit hit the proverbial fan, he wasn't strong enough and this was the result. Another constant reminder of his failures as a shinobi. He’d at least done one thing right, he protected his precious people. They came out badly injured, but alive, which was leagues above the alternative- 

_ The alternative. _

-Better two fingers gone than two friends dead. 

“It seems everyone has arrived, good.” Hiruzen folded his hands atop his desk, which for once was clear of paperwork. “At ease, gentlemen.” 

“Sir.” 

The four ANBU stood, awaiting further instructions. Kakashi’s attention flickered briefly to the oldest operative assembled before their Hokage. Chital was the first ANBU captain he’d ever been placed under. He showed Hound the ropes as a rookie, took him on several missions, and saved his life half a dozen times. If not for this man, hidden so professionally behind his elaborate deer mask, Kakashi would be a dismembered corpse littered across Grass Country. 

“I have a mission of the utmost importance for you all.” Taking a deep puff from his pipe, Hiruzen let the smoke billow around him. “In one week’s time, three of our genin teams willl be travelling to Kumogakure to take part in the chunin exams. You are to accompany them. Chital will be commander for this assignment.” 

Both his and Genma’s shoulders tensed. It was the only physical indication of the red flags waving in his head. The Sandaime had agreed to let genin participate in the upcoming chunin exams?! In  _ Kumogakure  _ of all places? What was he thinking?

“Hokage-sama, may I speak?” Genma interjected as respectfully as he could. Kakashi could hear the strain in his voice. Still, he was glad his teammate spoke up so he wouldn't have to. Genma was much more tactful than he was.

“What’s on your mind, Kitsune?” 

“The peace treaty between Konoha and Kumo is still in place, that true,” Genma began slowly. “However, the relations between our villages are… less than favourable right now. Is sending genin into such a hostile situation a wise decision? The next chunin exams are in Suna six months from now. Surely the teams could use that time to better prepare.” 

“Your concerns are valid, Kitsune.” Hiruzen’s dark eyes studied Genma’s porcelian mask with a calm, commanding intent. Beneath that grandfatherly facade was a powerful shinobi who made difficult decisions on a regular basis. “It’s for those very reasons I have not made this decision lightly. Sending genin to participate in the Kumogakure’s chunin exams is a show of good faith from one kage to another. My hope by doing so is that peace can be salvaged.” 

“Hokage-sama-”

Hiruzen raised a hand, cutting off Genma’s protest before it could be voiced. “With that said, I am not so naive as to send Konoha’s children on blind faith alone. Please remove your masks.” 

Team Ro completely froze at the request. Chital’s mask turned heavenward with a heavy sigh. For the Hokage to ask an ANBU to remove their mask was almost certainly a one-way trip back to the regular forces. ANBU operatives were anonymous. Their identities remained carefully guarded secrets, even amongst their closest friends. Kakashi could count on one hand those who knew he was the ANBU called Hound.

“No point in dragging out the process, I suppose.” Chital drawled in a resigned manner. Without any fanfare, he pulled the deer-themed mask off and clipped it to his belt. For the first time in four years, Kakashi found himself looking at the bare face of his first ANBU mentour. Ensui Nara managed to look both disgruntled and bored without offending the Sandaime. “Off with the masks, boys.” 

Tenzo’s lynx mask shifted ever so slightly in his direction. Seems his adorable kohai was seeking reassurance this was really okay. The kid was still phasing ROOT ideologies from his brain, so Kakashi really couldn’t blame him for the uncertainty. Having Tenzo defer to him or Genma was working out better than his blind assumptions had. 

Without a word, he and Genma pulled off their masks with Tenzo quickly following suit. 

Seemingly pleased, Hiruzen pulled three folders from the top drawer and slid them across the desk. “These are the nominated teams. I am sending you as a protection detail under the guise of assistant sensei and,” his eyes flickered to Ensui, “familial support.” 

"I don't know how much the boy will consider me _support."_ Ensui handed the folders out amongst the other ANBU. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting either of my nephews yet.”

The Hokage bowed his head in remourse. “An unfortunate consequence of long-term missions. Please accept my apologies, Ensui.” 

“My brother and sister-in-law understand duty, Hokage-sama. No apologies necessary, I was simply doing my job. Are there any more directives for this mission?” 

It was only the years of training that let Kakashi keep a neutral expression when he opened the file he was handed. A picture of Iruka’s genin team stared up at him from the information packet. The pieces clicked into place like a carefully laid out puzzle. _Iruka,_ they were talking about Iruka. Which meant the brother Ensui referred to was  _ Shikaku.  _

“Ah yes, please excuse this sentimental old man.” The Sandaime cleared his throat. “One week from today, you will travel with the genin teams to Bamboo Village in the Land of Steam. From there, a ship will take you to Kumogakure’s exportation port. Once you arrive, join participating teams from other villages and travel the last leg of the journey together. Protect our genin, bring them home safely.”

With an exhasperated sigh, Ensui flipped through one of the folders. “As you wish, Hokage-sama, but I have a request before my team proceeds.” 

“What’s that, my boy?”

“Form 36B-AZ, appeal for a non-ANBU special consultant.” Ensui fished a crumpled paper from his pocket. He smoothed it flat before sliding it across the desk to Hiruzen. “I, Ensui Nara, ANBU Captain codename Chital, formally request the addition of tokubetsu jounin Kito Fuma as consulting medical specialist to our team.” 

Kakashi caught Genma grinning out of the corner of his eye. Some of the tension in his shoulders loosened at the request. They both knew the addition of Kito to their squad would greatly increase their possibility of survival should the mission go south. Requesting a specialized medical-nin was a smart move on Ensui’s behalf. Kakashi expected nothing less from an experienced ANBU Captain.

Whether Kito would accept the request was another matter. 

With his work at the hospital, Kito didn’t take field missions often, even if specifically requested. Genma tilted the genin file he was skimming just enough for Kakashi to snatch a look at the kunoichi’s name. Ah, so Kito’s younger sister, Yurika, was one of the participants. He’d most definitely agree to accompany them if she was at risk.

“Request granted.” Hiruzen inhaled another drag off his pipe. “Now if there’s nothing futher, I want you to take the rest of the week off to prepare. You’ll be gone for roughly three months in total.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Dismissed.”


	2. Setting Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Inoichi set out for the chunin exams in Kumogakure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter is extra long to make up for the shortness of the last. My readers are the best. You're all amazing. I sincerely hope you enjoy. :D

Double-checking his mission pack, Iruka shouldered the bag and jogged to catch up with his teammates by Dango-ya. “Sorry, I’m late. Shikamaru-chan has a bad ear infection. He’s been really clingy.” He hated leaving his little brother in tears, but this wasn’t a day he could afford to run behind.

Inoichi winced in sympathy. “Ino had one last week. How’s he doing?”

Iruka fell into step between Izumo and Inoichi. “He’ll be okay, Yoshino-sensei made him some medicine. He's just rubbing his ears a lot and wants to be held all the time.”

“It’s a common illness for young children,” Inoichi commented as they merged onto Main Street. The village gates loomed in the distance, open and accessible for shinobi and travellers during the day. “Are you all ready?”

Kotetsu danced a few feet ahead and turned to face his team. “I was born ready, Sensei.” With his arms crossed behind his head, he walked backward as they talked. “Gen made us triple-check our packs and holsters this morning. I didn’t think we’d  _ ever  _ get out of the apartment.”

“If you didn’t keep forgetting your medkit on missions, he wouldn’t worry so much.” Izumo pointed out blankly. “You can’t keep pilfering my supplies, you know.”

“But you always have my back, right Zumo?” Kotetsu asked in a quiet voice, his playfulness having quickly dissipated.

Izumo turned crimson, so suddenly and brilliantly, the red rose right to the tips of his ears. “Th-that’s not the point," he spluttered.

“You, me and Ruka are a team.” Kotetsu stopped walking so the three of them came face-to-face after a few paces.

“For now and always,” Iruka added gently and reached for his teammates’ hands. Both older boys laced their fingers together and squeezed tightly in response. Iruka made a mental note to sit Izumo down for a talk when they had the chance. Whatever was going on with him lately needed to be addressed and Kotetsu seemed oblivious to it. Their teamwork couldn’t suffer going into the chunin exams. “You’re my best friends.”

Izumo smiled softly at that. “You’re ours too, Ruka.”

“And we have a great sensei ever! That makes us all the more awesome.” Kotetsu grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at Inoichi.

Their jounin sensei rolled his eyes but ruffled their hair quickly. “Come on boys, the other teams are waiting.”

Sure enough, six genin around their ages and two older jounin were already gathered at the gate. The group chattered amongst themselves, a few turning to their team as they approached. One of the girls grinned and waved to them with both hands.

A gruff looking man with red Inuzuka triangles on his cheeks barked out a laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day you were late, Yamanaka.”

“It’s five minutes, Gaku, don’t get your fur in a bunch.” Inoichi grasped the Inuzuka’s hand in a firm shake, but it was the third jounin he reeled in for a quick shoulder hug. “How have you been, Kakoi?” He knew the other two jounin on what appeared to be a personal level.

Kakoi inclined his head into a slight bow. “Fairly well. Is Ino-chan feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you for enquiring.” Inoichi-sensei returned the gesture respectfully. “These must be your genin teams. Ah, Santa. Your father mentioned you would be participating in the chunin exam at our last clan meeting.”

A genin with auburn hair tied up in a high ponytail bowed so quickly and deeply to Inoichi, Iruka thought his nose would hit the ground. “I-It’s an honour to be in your company for this journey, Yamanaka-sama!” Despite the hair and darker eye colour, he had the Yamanaka clan’s distinctive facial features and more slender build.

“Ah, there’s no need for such formalities, Santa.” Inoichi waved off the genin’s zeal with an awkward chuckle. “I’m sure you’ll do the clan proud.”

“Thank you, Sir!”

“Well, since we’re all going to be living on top of each other for the next few weeks, why don’t we introduce ourselves?” Gaku ruffled his ninken partner’s brown fur. “Yo munchkins, do the bow thing so we can get this show on the road.”

All nine genin straightened to full attention and dropped into a bow. Iruka recognized the Hyuuga’s distinctive eyes on a green-haired girl and the familiar beetles of the Aburame clan crawling up the cheek of another genin a few years his junior.

“I think a quick introduction would be more informative.” Kakoi fixed the collar of his white tunic in the heavy August heat. It would be sweltering by the time lunch rolled around. “Hmm -name, age, expertise and favourite food should suffice. Inoichi, please proceed.”

Their blond sensei stiffened a bit. “Why me?”

“Why not? You’re the only clan head present, lead by example,” Kakoi responded curtly.

Gaku barked out a sharp laugh, “need me to save your pretty blond ass again, Yamanaka?”

Inoichi smiled strained. “No thank you, Gaku-san. Please watch your language with the genin present,” he bit out between clenched teeth. “I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself.”

“Get on with it then. You Yamanaka are always so dramatic.”

Inoichi bristled but clapped his hands to bring everyone to attention. “We’ll just make our way clockwise around the group then.” Clearing his throat, he began, “I’m Inoichi Yamanaka, head of Konoha's Yamanaka clan and Intelligence Division. I specialize in mind manipulation techniques unique to my clan. I’m twenty-five years old and my favourite food is the cherry tomatoes we grow in our greenhouse.”

He nodded to Kotetsu who took a step forward with a cheeky grin. “Kotetsu Hagane here. I’m fourteen and I specialize mostly in Iaido kenjutsu. As for my favourite food, well I love oden or anything sweet really.”

Kotetsu elbowed his best friend in the ribs playfully. Izumo just rolled his eyes and squeezed Kotetsu’s forearm affectionately. “I’m Izumo Kamizuki, also fourteen years old. I’m a long-ranged fighter so I mostly use throwing weapons or suiton jutsu when fighting. I like daikon salad and thick boiled eggs,” he bowed respectfully, “it’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Iruka clasped his hands in front of himself when his turn came up. “Hello everyone, I’m Iruka Umino-Nara. I’m thirteen years old and well,” he paused, silently trying to figure out what exactly he specialized in. With all the differentiated training he did, he didn’t really excel at any one thing. “I’m interested in fuuinjutsu,” he finally settled on. “My favourite food is ramen from Ichiraku’s!”

The jounin instructor closest to his left chuckled curtly. “I am Kakoi Shimura of the Konoha Barrier Team. I’m twenty-six years old and I specialize in kekkai fuuinjutsu.” The man paused, his dark eyes shifting to Iruka’s startled face. Konoha had fuuinjutsu specialists?! Excitement bubbled up inside the genin. He had to talk to Kakoi if he got the chance! Maybe the jounin would have some fuuinjutsu scrolls or something he could borrow?

Kakoi’s attention returned to the group at large as quickly as they’d focused on Iruka. “I enjoy eating both curry and stir fry.”

The auburn-haired Yamanaka stepped forward next. The boy was wearing an alarming amount of purple. “I’m Santa Yamanaka of the Yamanaka clan, I’m fourteen years old. I’m learning how to use our clan’s secret techniques and I specialize in archery as well. I’ll eat anything made with avocado, so I guess that’s my favourite.” He nudged the petite Hyuuga girl next to him. “Your turn, Natsu-chan.”

Her jade-green hair was a startling contrast to the usual dark brown and black associated with the clan. “Oh, my apologies Santa-san.” She blushed softly, pale hands fisting into her kimono obi. “My name is Natsu Hyuuga, age thirteen. I-I primarily use my clan’s gentle fist taijutsu style. And… umm, I th-think shrimp tastes pretty good.” She dipped forward into a bow quickly to hide how red her face was getting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”   


A brown-haired girl tossed her arms around Santa and Natsu’s shoulders. Her grin was wide and brilliant. “Yurika Fuma at your service to round out Team Kakoi~ I just turned twelve and I specialize in using fuma-shuriken. My clan's the ones that invented them, ya know. The best thing to eat in the whole world is Kito-nii-san’s homemade vegetable soup. He’s the best cook ever!”   


“Alright then! Let my team show you Gakis how introductions're properly done.” Gaku gave a wolfish grin as he motioned to his genin team. “My kids are going to kick every one of your skinny asses anyway so you better remember their names-”

“Enough sensei.” The petite Aburame interrupted bluntly. “Why? Because this is a waste of time. We’re burning daylight for social niceties.”

“We’re going to fight in the chunin exams, not to make friends with our opponents. It doesn’t matter if we’re from the same village or not.” A dark-haired youth with a purple tattoo on his cheek spoke up.   


“I’m going.” The third member of Gaku’s team announced curtly. He turned to the gates, both teammates flanking him without a second’s hesitation.   


“Hold up you little brats! Muta! Kokage! Tessen!!” Gaku growled, his temper rising quickly. “Quit being such pains in my side. I ain’t taking you to Kumogakure with that attitude. I told you to take those sticks out of your asses, Sage damn it!”   


Team Inoichi and Team Kakoi watched in open-mouthed shock as Gaku and his genin fell into a foul-mouthed argument right at the village gates. Natsu flinched back from the yelling, half hiding behind Santa and Yurika. Iruka had never seen anything like this! There was no respect between the genin and their sensei. How did their team even function?  He reached for his teammates, silently shuffling them all closer to Inoichi-sensei.   


Just seeing another genin team like that made his heart ache. His team had their differences but they put in the effort to develop trust. It took a long time for them to make the bonds they now shared, especially after the genjutsu test Inoichi put them through that first day. They were wary of him for a long time, but Iruka understood that in itself had been a lesson. A shinobi needed a healthy amount of paranoia, especially with whom they closely associated.  


Iruka alone held close ties to the Nara, Yamanaka and Hatake clans. He proudly displayed the Nara Clan symbol on his uniform and he still wore Kakashi’s old formal robes with the Hatake diamond on the back. Only now, an armband with the Naras' round symbol accompanied his attire. And boy, was there a lot of formal events as a clan head’s eldest son. He wasn’t Shikaku’s heir, but that didn’t matter where village politics was concerned. 

Izumo and Kotetsu were being fostered by one of the only shinobi alive capable of performing the Yondaime's Hiraishin. He’d seen a Kiri Bingo Book, Genma had hefty bounties as a tokubetsu jounin and an ANBU. It was unnerving. That, along with their ties to the Yamanaka and Akimichi through Genma’s history with Choza but his best friends in a precarious situation themselves.

Iruka’s hackles raised when Gaku started openly snarling. Inuzuka were known to have tempers akin to wild dogs. Inoichi’s arms came around them protectively when Gaku flared his chakra in warning. “Gaku, that’s enough. This is no way for a jounin sensei to conduct a team.” Kakoi stepped in front of his own genin, Santa and Yurika having moved to cuddle a trembling Natsu between them.   


“Mind your own damn business, Yamanaka,” Gaku turned on his fellow jounin with a growl. “Real jounin don’t baby their genin into little pussies like you two have.”   


Both Inoichi and Kakoi’s faces turned red with rage. “How dare you-!”

“Real jounin huh?” A lazy drawl pondered from above.

Iruka’s attention shifted to the unknown voice as five shinobi clad in Konoha’s standard uniform leapt from atop the village gates. His heart jumped into his throat as his eyes widened. Izumo and Kotetsu both inhaled sharply on either side of him, every bit as stunned at the sudden arrivals as he was.   


Kakashi, Genma, Tenzo, Kito and an unknown shinobi blocked Team Gaku’s exit from the village. A dark-haired man with his hair drawn back in a high ponytail sauntered forward. Hands buried in his pockets, black eyes sharp on Gaku’s face. “I’m curious what qualifications are needed to make one a  _ real jounin,  _ Gaku-san.”   


“Ensui Nara?” Gaku’s grin took on a tense, threatening edge. Ignoring the protests from his genin, the Inuzuka shoved them aside and stepped toe-to-toe with Ensui. He was so close, their noses almost bumped. “When the heck did you get back? I thought your ass was rotting on some long-term mission in Kiri.”   


“Good to know the village gossip mill is still going strong.” Ensui mused in a lazy tone that reminded Iruka a bit too much of Shikaku. Ensui bore a rather striking resemblance to his adoptive father. Maybe it was a clan thing?   


“What’re you doing here? You’re in our way, Nara.”

Shrugging lazily, Ensui’s dark eyes met Iruka’s briefly over Gaku’s shoulder. A cold chill ran down the genin’s spine. He knew that look. Shikaku had the same hard-edged, contemplative gaze when he was analyzing. Iruka could almost see Ensui’s mind working. “Observing a real jounin at work apparently. Tell me, Gaku, are your students  _ real genin?”  _

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Gaku snapped.

With a disgruntled sigh, Ensui drew a scroll from his pocket and tossed it to Gaku. Iruka caught a flash of the Hokage’s seal emblazoned across the parchment before the Inuzuka caught it. “I’m sure a real jounin such as yourself can figure it out. You’ll have plenty of time while you’re on stand-by.”

_ “WHAT?!”   
_

“Your genin can even help you out since they won’t be taking the chunin exam.”   


Gaku bared his fangs, bits of Killing Intent trickling into his building anger. “You have no right-”

Ensui cut off a chorus of angry protests from the genin and their sensei with a single, sharp look. “If you weren’t so eager to run your mouth and actually read your mission debriefs, you’d know I have every right as Captain to pull the plug on your team’s participation. Hokage-sama had doubts about your team’s readiness to undergo the chunin exams. You proved his intuitions correct before you got a foot outside the village.” He inclined his head towards the scroll. “I’m sure you’ll find it all in order, Hokage-sama drafted those directives for you himself.”   


“You can’t just-”

“I can and did.” Ensui’s shadows darkened and rippled around his feet dangerously. “Now if you’ll excuse us, my squad and I have two genin teams to escort to Kumogakure. I’d like to get a few miles between us and the village before we lose daylight.” He motioned Team Inoichi and Team Kakoi forward. “Let’s get going.”   


Kakoi and Inoichi herded their genin around the other team. Ensui’s team moved to flank their backs and the whole group took off into the trees quickly. They set a hard pace, racing through the massive maple and oak trees surrounding their village. Tension kept the group silent and on alert until Ensui finally called them to a halt hours later.   


Dropping down to a riverbank several miles from their village, Natsu and Santa both sank to their knees from exhaustion. Yurika wobbled on her feet, following them down shortly after. “H-Holy cow, I d-didn’t think we’d make it towards the end there,” she mumbled between pants.   


Izumo and Kotetsu wiped some sweat from their faces, their breathing a bit laboured. Other than that, Iruka’s team fared quite well during the rush. It was a pleasant surprise to see just how much endurance training with Gai was finally paying off. Izumo and Kotetsu joined them a day or two a week now that Gai was making a name for himself as a taijutsu specialist and not just another quirky shinobi. Training with him was really an honour.

Iruka settled onto the grass with his best friends, silently tracking the jounin with his eyes. They moved around the clearing, flickering in and out of view, jumping to and from the trees. They spoke quietly with Inoichi-sensei and Kakoi and amongst themselves while the genin rested. The conversations had to be about what occurred at the village entrance or why so many were escorting them.  


That was… unnerving to say the least. What was going on? They’d be given some answers soon, right? What was Kakashi doing here? And Genma? Were all five of these unknown shinobi actually ANBU? Was this because of the strain on Konoha’s peace treaty with Kumo? Questions swirled through his mind as Izumo passed him a ration bar to eat.   


Iruka bit into the bar, absentmindedly chewing on the hard, nutrient-packed ration without really thinking about it. His eyes followed Kakashi as he flicked in and out of the clearing. Had he known about this before Iruka left? Why hadn’t he said anything? Was it top secret? A conflict of interest? Iruka’s stomach twisted into knots. He got nothing from the older teen except a brief glance so far. With a groan, he leaned back-to-back with Izumo and stretched out his legs. Whatever was going on, they’d get the details only when their jounin companions deemed it necessary.

Several long moments dragged by before the jounin, escort and sensei alike, joined the genin on the grass. There was a moment of breathless tension, then everyone broke seemingly at once.   


“Kito-nii-san!!” Yurika wailed and threw herself into the arms of her elder brother. Kito patted her back, murmuring softly into her russet brown hair -a familial trait they both shared.   


Grinning around his senbon, Genma settled between Izumo and Kotetsu and slung an arm around both their shoulders. “Hey gremlins, it seems your chunin exams are off to an eventful start before you even get to Kumo, huh?.” His teammates just buried themselves into Genma’s flak jacket and didn’t move.   


Kakoi comforted a trembling, teary-eyed Natsu Hyuuga and Inoichi-sensei ruffled Santa Yamanaka’s hair affectionately. Clanmates, senseis, family, each of his fellow genin had strong bonds to at least one of the jounin present. Without any hesitation, Iruka wedged himself between Kakashi and Tenzo. Leaning heavily into Kakashi’s side, he let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding in. “I’m glad you’re here.”   


Tenzo stiffened behind him, dark eyes fixed straight ahead. Uncomfortable, uncertain, even after months of slowly developing a friendship. Kakashi had explained plain and simply the bond he and Genma shared with Tenzo. A little brother, a very dear friend, a precious person. One Kakashi had persued and developed completely on his own.   


It was astonishing.   


Astounding.   


Amazing.

Iruka found himself drawn to the quiet, guilt-ridden, completely lost boy the moment they met without Tenzo's ANBU uniform in the way. He was so similar to Kakashi, yet so different. An ANBU far too young -starved for connections yet unsure of how to form them. Iruka wanted to bundle Tenzo up and tell him everything would be okay.   


They would be okay as long as they stuck together. 

Instead, he asked Tenzo to spar with him and Iruka saw something magnificence -a piece of Konoha’s history he never expected to see. Tenzo could use mokuton, his great-grandfather’s wood-style technique long thought lost to the sands of time. And it was every bit as astounding and enigmatic as the shinobi that used it.   


Spars with Iruka turned into demonstrations with Izumo and Kotetsu, and then lunch and trips to Dango-ya for sweets. Kibi dango made with walnut flour quickly became Tenzo's favourite snack and having Shinko-san flirt with him made Tenzo turn red from the tips of ears right down to his collarbone.   


When Genma introduced his old Hokage Guard Platoon member Iwashi Tatami to the group, they found he and Tenzo got on like a house on fire. Iwashi was patient and mature enough to draw Tenzo out of his shell gradually and with much better success than Iruka had. Without any of them realizing it, the five of them fell into an easy friend group, apart from their other bonds.   


It was different, not having the older teens around, but in a good way. They could be silly together, act like the kids they were (thought Tenzo needed work on that) and not the shinobi they trained to be.  


Iwashi and Tenzo now shared an apartment on the same floor as Raidou and Ibiki’s family. It was just two buildings down from the Shiranui household, five from Gai’s, and four blocks from his and Kakashi’s apartment. Iruka wasn’t lost to the significance of having his friends so close by. loved them all just as fiercely as he did the Naras.   


Pressed his shoulder firmly to Iruka’s, Kakashi brushed his fingers lightly across his own. It was quick, barely a whisper of contact, but it spoke volumes and made Iruka’s heart swell. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”   


Seeing him and Tenzo in Konoha’s standard uniform was surreal, yet somehow becoming. Iruka couldn’t help but hope someday this became normal for them both. ANBU took its toll on shinobi. Iruka didn’t want his precious people to be swallowed up in that unforgiving anonymity forever.   


Ensui dropped to the grass, weight balanced lazily on his hands when he leaned back. “Well, I suppose it’s time for an explanation.” The Nara rolled his eyes to the sky, taking in the white clouds above for a moment. It was a lovely day, peaceful even. “I’m Ensui Nara, captain of a special squad assigned to escort and guard the genin teams taking part in the upcoming Kumogakure chunin exams. I’m sure your jounin sensei gave you a rundown on the political tension between Konoha and Kumo right now. We won’t interfere with your exams, we’re just along as a precaution on Hokage-sama’s behest.”

Yurika’s hand shot up quickly. “I thought only the Hokage was allowed to bring a guard detail into another village.”

Ensui’s lips curved into a wry smile. “Officially yes, unofficially, well, we can get creative.”

“So there’s a cover story,” Izumo guessed. 

“Exactly,” Ensui leaned forward so his arms dropped to rest on his upper legs. “We’re down a genin team, so this is how things will play out moving forward. Tenzo and Kakashi will be acting as assistants to the jounin sensei. Kakashi with Team Inoichi and Tenzo with Team Kakoi. Kito here,” he thumped Yurika’s brother firmly on the back, “is our medic. Go to him for all your medical needs. Genma and I are just here to support family members.”   


That uneasy feeling returned when Ensui’s eyes focused completely on him once again. Iruka’s stomach lurched and he bit the inside of his cheek. Family. Ensui was here to support family. But there was no one from the Nara clan participating in the chunin exams.   


No one but  _ him.   
_

It took all of Iruka’s training to keep his shock off his face. Shikaku mentioned having a brother away on a long-term mission a few times, but there weren't any major details shared. Iruka knew he’d been away for a few years, but that was it. Shikaku always grew melancholy when the subject came up. The genin never wanted to press. His adoptive father clearly missed his brother dearly and Iruka hated any of his precious family being upset.   


So to have Shikaku’s brother,  _ his uncle,  _ show up here of all places, was unnerving. Unexpected. But it had to be him. Who else could Ensui be? Not knowing what else to do, Iruka averted his gaze and bowed his head to Ensui.   


After a moment, Ensui stood and brushed some grass off his pants. Iruka couldn't read his expression. “Let’s get moving. There’s a long journey ahead of us.”   


That’s all it took to get them moving. Gathering up their belongings, the jounin and genin took to the trees, heading through the vast forests that made up The Land of Fire. They travelled at a brisk pace, breaking only to eat or make camp for the night. Ensui’s team, Inoichi-sensei and Kakoi took turns rotating guard duty, opting to let the genin rest as much as they could for the upcoming exams. It was thoughtful and much appreciated by the genin, though Iruka couldn’t help the unsettling taste of uselessness it left in his mouth.   


Things continued like this for the next several days. Team Kakoi always passed out the moment they hit their bedrolls, exhausted from the day’s journey. Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu stayed up a bit later. They pulled their bedrolls together and always checked over their supplies before turning in for the night. Kunai and Kotetsu’s kodachi were always close at hand, just in case. A shinobi was always ready, even while resting.   


* * *

It was on the fourth night of their travels Kakashi found himself paired with Ensui Nara on guard duty rotation. Perched on either side of a massive oak tree over twenty feet above their sleeping comrades, their hushed, rarely exchanged words took an unexpected turn. “How long have you been involved with my nephew, Kakashi?”

The question came so suddenly and unexpectedly, Kakashi barely stopped himself from stiffening. He rolled his shoulders, letting his posture droop into an uncaring slouch. "We’ve shared an apartment since the Kyuubi attack.” An evasive, but not untrue answer.  


“You’ve been training him. I can tell by the way he moves.” Obstructed by the tree’s trunk, Kakashi couldn’t see his old mentor. Only his vocal tone gave any indication to his motives or interests. “Iruka tends to guard his right side more methodically than one without a sight impairment needs to. That's a habit he picked up from you.”   


Shoving his hands in his pockets, Kakashi let his gaze turn heavenward. It was a clear night. Stars twinkled merrily above. “Mah, it’s not something that will hamper his abilities.”   


“Does he stand a chance?”

“Inoichi wouldn’t let him take the chunin exams if he didn’t.”   


Silence settled between them as the conversation tapered off. After several moments, Ensui spoke up again. “We received reports from the Land of Waves that children were going missing. Right before the Kyuubi attack, Minato-sama sent me undercover to investigate,”   


Kakashi flinched at the mention of his old sensei’s name. Silently, he rubbed a hand over his chest where a dull ache had settled. It still hurt, thinking about Minato-sensei, talking about him. Not as sharply, but it was still there. He was starting to think the pain always would be.   


A scuffle from the other side of the tree tracked Ensui’s movements as he readjusted to a more comfortable position. There was still another hour or so before Genma and Inoichi were scheduled to relieve them. “I uncovered a child trafficking ring that ran right into Tanigakure's political system. It took me three years to root the damn thing out completely.”

“...Ah.” Kakashi did stiffen at that. ANBU missions, completed or not, were classified, especially ones of such a sensitive nature. Ensui Nara was not the type to suffer a wagging tongue. At least, the mentor he remembered wasn’t the type. Was Ensui still the same person he'd been back then though? Kakashi knew first hand how long-term missions messed with a shinobi’s head. His had only been six months and he had Genma, his partner, someone he trusted to have his back.

Ensui was all alone for three years.   


“I barely got through Konoha’s Reintegration Program when this assignment fell in my lap. I saw my brother for two hours between completing the program and reporting to the Sandaime. Yoshi was pregnant last I saw her. Now there’s a toddler running around and two teenagers in my old bedroom. Life got complicatedly troublesome it seems...” Ensui trailed off with an exasperated sigh. “I was expecting one nephew when I returned home, not three, you know.” 

Kakashi's natural grey eye slowly slid closed. “I’m more akin to the weird cousin no one quite knows what to do with, Ensui-senpai.”   


“Come on, Kakashi, you’re smarter than that.”   


“I’m your subordinate, not your family.”

“No reason you can’t be both. Life’s short for a shinobi. It’s best to cherish love when you get it. What form it takes doesn't really matter."   


_Not everyone is deserving of the love they're given. _Kakashi kept that response to himself and let the conversation taper off.  


The change in guard came not long after. Leaping down from the tree branch, he exchanged places with Genma. His ANBU partner patted Kakashi’s shoulder, his attention lingering on the sleeping genin. Iruka’s bedroll was wedged snugly between his older teammates’ again. Kakashi could just make out Iruka’s hand clasped with Izumo’s and Kotetsu clutching the edge of Iruka’s nightshirt beneath the heavy blankets.   


“They’re cute when asleep, huh?” Genma chuckled and jumped into the oak to take up Kakashi’s abandoned vantage point.   


Kakashi ignored how the ache in his chest suddenly sharpened. Rin and Obito used to huddle close to him in a similar manner. Back when he was a chunin. Back when Minato-sensei was still alive to keep a watchful eye on them. It felt like another lifetime ago now. 

* * *

Bamboo Village lived up to its name by presenting the genin with exactly what they expected: a village made completely of bamboo, surrounded on three sides by a dense bamboo forest and by the ocean on the fourth. The group arrived early on the sixth day of travel, hours before their ship was scheduled to leave port. With instructions to stay in pairs and to meet at the wharf at noon sharp, Ensui lets them loose on the unsuspecting village.   


Everyone fractured off almost naturally. Ensui chilled with Inoichi and Kakoi while Yurika pulled her flustered elder brother along with Natsu and Santa trailing behind them. Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu ended up in a larger group with Tenzo, Genma and Kakashi on their way to the market district. Once at their destination, they broke off into pairs and Iruka found himself with some much desired one-on-one time with Kakashi.   


The older teen rubbed the back of his head, cheeks flushing slightly above his face mask. “So, uh, was there anything you wanted to do?”   


“Oh, umm,” trailing off, Iruka bit his bottom lip, his own cheeks tingling with embarrassment. Things had been a little awkward between them since sharing that kiss in the hospital. Not strained so much as neither quite knew how to handle the sudden shift in their relationship, or what the change really entailed. “I kind of wanted to bring gifts back for the Naras.” He looked down at his feet, silently shifting his weight from one to the other. “...Do you want to help me pick something out for them?”

Kakashi’s visible eye curved into a smile. “Mah, why not?”   


Iruka couldn’t help but grin. “Let get looking then. We’ve only got a few hours to find the perfect presents!” Throwing caution to the wind, he reached out and grabbed Kakashi’s gloved hand. The ANBU tensed briefly, but slowly laced their fingers together with a light squeeze.   


They made their way through the marketplace like that, weaving through the throng of people hand-in-hand. They drifted from vendor to vendor, looking over the items each had for sale. Most were craftsmen and artisans selling handcrafted items. Kakashi found a homemade shogi board for Shikaku while Iruka picked out a pale blue and jade shell bracelet for Yoshino-sensei. A stuffed deer with large, black eyes was too perfect a gift for Shikamaru-chan to pass on.   


With the gifts careful stored in Iruka’s satchel, the pair readied themselves to head for the port when a glint of silver caught the genin’s eye. Shouldering his pack, Iruka carefully lifted a silver necklace from the display it hung on. A heavy ache -partly nostalgic but mostly painful- settled in his chest. “Look ‘Kashi,” he whispered in breathless awe as he brushed a finger along the blue stones accentuating the lovely jewellery piece. “...Parent dolphins and their child.”   


“Ah,” Kakashi leaned over his shoulder to get a better look at the necklace. “It’s lovely.”   


“Yes it is,” he agreed. Hanging the necklace back onto the display, Iruka forced a smile. “Well, we better start heading back or we’ll be late.”   


“Mah,” Kakashi watched him rehang the necklace but simply nodded. “Don’t want to miss our boat.”   


They leapt to the rooftops to avoid the late morning crowd. In the distance, a massive passenger ship was hoisting sail. The closer they drew, the easier it was to pick out passengers boarding. A quick scan of the gathering crowd pinpointed the rest of the group already on board. Iruka waved, getting a grin from Kotetsu when he was spotted. “There they are!” Leaping from a nearby warehouse, he landed in a roll on deck.   


“You almost didn’t make it.” Tenzo pointed out. He helped Iruka to his feet as the ship started to pull away from the dock. “Where’s Kakashi-senpai?”

Iruka’s brows knit together in confusion. “Huh? He’s right… here?” Turning to his left, where Kakashi had been only a moment before, Iruka found the familiar head of silver hair startingly absent. Panic tensed his muscles. “Eh?! I swear he was right behind me!”   


Slapping a hand over his face, Genma shook his head with a groan. “Sage save me now.”   


“I’m sure he must have something important to take care of.” Tenzo pointed out, always quick to defend the senpai he had unwavering faith in.

“He’s going to miss the boat!” Iruka cried, his stomach churning into nervous knots. Where had he gone? What could Kakashi possibly have to take care of in a tiny port town? Iruka wasn’t sure if his precious person had even  _ been  _ to Bamboo Village before.   


“It’s fine, he’s coming.” Slouching over the safety railing, Ensui braced his elbows against the metal and motioned with a tilt of his head towards the water.   


Iruka raced to the railing with Izumo and Kotetsu at his side and Genma with Tenzo close behind. After a moment, Yurika, Natsu and Santa jointed out of curiosity. They leaned down to get a better look at the quickly widening distance between their ship and Bamboo Village’s port. Iruka breathed out a relieved sigh.

There, jogging across the water's surface towards their ship, was Kakashi.   


“Of all the idiotic…” Genma dropped his head to the railing with an exasperated groan. “What’re you doing?" Cupping his hands around his mouth, Genma yelled out to Kakashi. "Get your butt up here before you end up water walking all the way to the Land of Lightning!”   


Kakashi’s only response was an eye smile and a two-fingered salute. 


	3. Kumogakure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Inoichi and Team Kakoi arrive in Kumogakure with their elite escort in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a bit more time to plan out the last few details of the exam's first part, so let's have a bit of character interaction to tide ya'll over until the chunin exams begin next chapter.

Balanced precariously between his teammates, Iruka leaned over the ship’s railing in fascination. He was never on a boat before. Watching the ship pull into port was an experience he didn’t want to miss. The wharf of Inaho Village was much larger than that of Bamboo Village. People moved about the bustling village below, like ants scattered to the wind. 

“Whoa, there’s so many shinobi!” Yurika flung herself at the railing next to them. Santa and Izumo scrambled to grasp her poncho before she fell head-first into the ocean below. “Are they all taking the chunin exam with us?” 

“I would assume so.” Santa peered over Yurika’s head, dark eyes fixed on the wharf curiously. The farther into port their ship drew, the easier it was to see exactly how much of the gathered crowd were shinobi from other hidden villages.

Natsu pushed up on her tip-toes to get a better look at the people below. “That is quite daunting.” 

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Natsu! We’ll keep you safe.” Yurika threw her arms around the petite Hyuuga’s shoulders, hugging her close. Natsu’s cheeks flushed so quickly, her entire face turned red. “That’s a promise, right Santa?”

“Of course,” Santa agreed and let himself be tugged into the hug. Natsu's face brightened by several shades. “That’s what we’ve been training for, after all, to watch each other’s backs and support each other. We’re a team.” 

“You guys are alright.” Kotetsu wiggled up to sit on the railing, balancing on the narrow beam with carefully trained ease. Iruka could just spot the trickle of chakra he used to keep himself from toppling backwards. “Though our team is still the best when it comes to teamwork.” 

“Really?” Santa twisted his regular ponytail up into a messy bun. “That sounds like a challenge, Hagane-kun.” 

“Why? You wanna go Yamanaka?” 

Natsu held her hands up, trying to mediate before another squabble broke out. “I’m sure we’ll get a chance to show off our skills once the exam begins.” They’d been at sea the last two days with nothing to do but. Nerves ran high with the exam quickly approaching. Even still, no one expected the competitive streak that reared its ugly head between Santa, Kotetsu and Yurika. 

Iruka caught the edge of Kotetsu’s hakama between his thumb and fingers. “Natsu-san’s right, you two-”

“Bring it!” Yurika interrupted loudly and thrust a finger at Kotetsu. “We’ll totally whoop your butts in the chunin exam. Kakoi-sensei’s leader of Konoha’s Barrier Team, he’s the best, so we’re the best. Hands down our team’s going all the way to the finals!”

Kotetsu spluttered, his competitive streak quickly getting the better of him. “Yeah well, Inoichi-sensei’s head of the _entire_ Intelligence Division.” He emphasized the word by stretched his arms out wide.

Not wanting to get stuck in the middle of another one-upmanship Iruka tapped Izumo’s shoulder and motioned to the bow of the ship. Glancing back at Kotetsu with Team Kakoi over his shoulder, Izumo hesitated a moment, then nodded. The pair slunk away from the quickly escalating boast competition. Sometimes letting Kotetsu ware himself out with Yurika and Santa was the easiest solution. Besides, it finally gave Iruka a chance for that one-on-one talk with Izumo he’d been hoping for.

“How long do you think they’ll be at it this time?” Iruka asked as they found a relatively quiet spot at the tip of the bow. Hunkering down, the friends stretched their legs out and fell into a comfortable silence as Izumo mulled his question over. They had a quieter dynamic without Kotetsu’s influence. 

Leaning his weight back on his arms, Izumo puffed out his cheeks in consideration. “It’s hard to tell. Ko’s been wound pretty tight the last few days.” The third member of their trio didn't handle anxiety well without an outlet. Usually, Iaido katas settled him, but there wasn't a place to swing a sword around on a crowded merchant ship.

Iruka drew his knees up to his chest. “I think we’re all getting nervous.” The chunin exams started in the morning. He could hardly believe it. Being cooped up on the ship, unable to train beyond meditation, was leaving them all with too much time on their hands. Minds wandered with nothing to do. That’s when self-doubt and second-guesses settled in. 

“How about we grab Ko and have a friendly spar when we get off the ship?” 

Resting his cheek atop his knees, Iruka studied the older teen quietly. That could be a good segway. “Do you think a spar would help you two communicate better?”

Izumo’s brows knit together, but he shrugged the question off with a chuckle. “We communicate fine.” 

“Are you certain? It doesn't look that way from the outside, at least not lately.” 

“Yes Iruka,” his friend retorted curtly. 

The genin chewed on his bottom lip. “I’m just worried about you, Zumo.” He didn’t want to pry or push Izumo too deeply. That wasn’t how their friendship worked. The bonds he formed with Izumo and Kotetsu relied on shared experiences, mutual trust, and acceptance. They didn’t demand or look down on each other. “You’ve been acting… _off_ lately, especially around Kotetsu. He hasn’t noticed, but I have. I want to help if something’s bothering you.” 

Izumo’s shoulders stiffened quickly, his jaw tense. Iruka could almost picture his teeth grinding together. “It’s nothing, Ruka.”

“I’m here if you want to talk. You know that right?”

“Yeah, yeah I do. Thanks, it’s just,” cutting himself off, Izumo hid his face in his arms with a groan. The tips of his ears turned crimson. “It’s foolish. _ I’m _stupid for letting Ko get to me like this.” 

Iruka squeezed his friend’s shoulder gently. “It’s not stupid if it makes you feel bad.” 

Izumo’s head shot up so quickly, Iruka almost jumped out of his skin. “Kotetsu doesn’t make me feel bad!” The older boy’s flushed face scrunched up like he was trying not to cry. 

Iruka blinked, completely caught off guard by the sudden declaration. The two stared at each other while Izumo’s face continued to brighten several shades of red. Ah, so his teammates weren’t fighting? Wait, then what was going on? He didn’t understand. This didn’t make any sense. Izumo was blushing like Tenzo did after Shinko-chan flirted with him. If Kotetsu wasn’t doing anything to upset Izumo, then why was he so-

Oh!

_ ...Oh. _

_ Wait, what?! _

The realization hit Iruka like a ton of bricks and he blurted out without thinking the words through, “you _ like _like Kotetsu!” 

Izumo slapped both hands over Iruka’s mouth with a garbled squeak. “Not so loud,” he hissed, eyes darting to and fro to make sure no one overheard their conversation. “I don’t want Kotetsu to find out.” 

Iruka stared at his friend in disbelief, his mind slowly working through the confession the older boy had unintentionally just made. Izumo had feelings for Kotetsu. _ Romantic feelings. _Thinking back, it actually explained a lot. The way his friend always blushed and stammered, worried and fretted over Kotetsu. Why he grew sullen if Kotetsu showed interest in someone else. No wonder he was so off lately! He liked Kotetsu, but their friend was pretty oblivious to it. How long had Izumo felt this way? Had anyone else figured it out as Iruka had? Maybe Genma-senpai or Inoichi-sensei? Not that he was going to ask either of them.

“Will you keep your voice down if I pull my hand away?” Izumo stared him down, his dark eyes dancing with anxiety. Iruka nodded and grasped his friend’s hand when Izumo pulled it away from his mouth.

“I’m sorry, Zumo. I-I didn’t mean to be so loud, I just wasn’t expecting well…” He motioned vaguely to the older genin.

“Please don’t tell anyone, especially not Kotetsu.” Izumo hugged himself, eyes diverting to his lap. “It’s a stupid crush. I’m trying to get over it. I promise it won’t affect our teamwork during the chunin exams.”

“It’s not stupid, but I won’t tell anyone.” Throwing his arms around his friend, Iruka hugging him tightly. “I hate seeing you so upset. I don’t know how much I can help, but I’m here if you ever want to talk okay?” 

“Yeah, thanks Ruka.” 

* * *

“Okay everyone, gather up.” Landing in a crouch before the genin and jounin, Ensui rolled lazily back to his feet. “I’ve secured us a place with the caravan. Most of the other teams are travelling with supply carriages. We’ll be leaving in half an hour.” 

A few of the genin let out a cheer. Caravans rarely passed through Konoha, so riding with one would be a treat. Their ragtag group spread out amongst the last two carriages in the line. Inoichi-sensei and Kakoi found seats with the coachmen. Izumo and Kotetsu climbed atop the first carriage, Kakashi and Genma the second. Kito helped Natsu into one carriage with Yurika clambering in behind them. Santa wrangled Tenzo into joining him inside the second carriage. 

Shifting his satchel to the opposite shoulder, Iruka readied himself to climb up with Kakashi and Genma when his limbs suddenly locked up tight. Blind fear shot up his spine for a split second, then Iruka sighed. The familiar feel of foreign chakra buzzed across his skin, completely unnoticeable to someone unfamiliar with the Nara Clan’s Shadow Possession Jutsu. Fortunately, Shikaku made sure he was accustomed to his adoptive family’s signature technique. 

“Come sit over here, Iruka. You’ll have more room.” Ensui’s lazy drawl called from the back of the second carriage. 

Iruka’s heart almost leapt into his throat. He’d avoided Ensui Nara for the better part of the last week. He kept his head down and went about his business with a respectable distance between them. This man, _this unknown variable,_ was supposed to be the elusive uncle Shikaku rarely spoke of but missed painfully. The thought twisted his stomach unpleasantly. 

The shadows receded and without a word, Iruka climbed up to sit at Ensui’s side. Clasping his hands in his lap, the genin kept his gaze fixed squarely on Inaho Village as the caravan began its journey to Kumogakure. There were still five to six hours of travel ahead of them, time Iruka wasn’t looking forward to spending in awkward silence with Ensui Nara. 

How was he supposed to approach this man? Had Shikaku even seen his brother before Ensui left the village to be their escort? Yoshino-sensei made no indication of his return before Iruka left. He knew nothing about this man yet they were supposed to be family.

The whole thing felt so surreal.

“Shikaku used to get lost in thought like that when we were kids,” Ensui pointed out gently. The jounin slouched back against the carriage, attention shifting completely to the genin at his side. “Usually when something was on his mind.”

Iruka’s face flushed with embarrassment. “M-My apologies, Sir. I-I don’t know what to say. Meeting you like this is a bit unexpected.” 

“Unexpected hm? That’s a word for it.” Ensui’s lips curved into a brief, wry smile. It softened his eyes in a way that reminded Iruka of Shikaku. “Ensui's fine. I don't need my nephew calling me _Sir. _I would’ve preferred to meet you under less stressful circumstances.”

“Three years is a really long time to be away from home.” Iruka kicked his dangling feet in a vain attempt to stem the anxiety buzzing inside his stomach. He didn't know if he'd be able to do what Ensui had.

“It is, but that is our duty as shinobi. The higher up the ranks we climb, the more precarious our duties become.” 

“Yes, Sir- uh Ensui-san.” Iruka stumbled over the title, his cheek tingling with embarrassment.

Ensui hummed in response, his jaw tightening in the same way Shikaku's did when mulling over a new piece of information. The two were alike in mannerisms if not completely in looks. Ensui’s hair was softer and darker than his brother’s, his face fuller. “Last time I saw your mother, she was six months pregnant.” 

Iruka clutched his stomach when it did a strange flip and lurch. That was the first time anyone verbally referred to Yoshino-sensei as his mother. It was… Well, he wasn’t quite sure. He loved his former academy sensei dearly. She was wonderful, nurturing, accepting, but there was always a bit of reluctance to think of her as his mother. It felt like a betrayal to his birth mother -his whole family really. “...They really miss you.” 

“Hopefully, I’ll be around more often now.” Dropping a hand atop his head, Ensui gave his hair a slight ruffle. “I’ve got two nephews to get to know after all.” He motioned over his shoulder with a wave of his hand. “I'd say three, but I think that would put me on thin ice.” 

Iruka chuckled a bit as some of the tension slowly eased between them. “I think that’s a good assumption. Kakashi’s pretty supportive, but I know this is a lot for him to get used to.”

Ensui scratched the stubble growing along his chin. “Kakashi is Head of the Hatake Clan regardless of its size or reputation. Now he’s a ward of the Nara Clan’s head family. The council will be watching him carefully for the foreseeable future.” 

Iruka bit the inside of his cheek, a strange amalgamation of guilt and dread twisting sickeningly inside him. “I-I didn’t realize Kakashi was under so much pressure.” And it was all for_ his _ benefit. 

Shrugging, Ensui pressed his shoulder gently into Iruka’s. “Don’t let it bother you too much. I know my brother, Shikaku and Yoshi wouldn’t make the decision to take you two in on a whim. Kakashi knew what he was getting himself into and still thought the benefits outweighed the risks. He's not the only one with extra eyes on him right now, Iruka. Focus on the upcoming exams. Make sure you perform well for the clan and the village.”

And there it was. The weight of his new position in life, the expectations to perform, the cost of having a family again. The exchange of one for another -happiness for responsibility. There would be no walking away, no turning back. Iruka didn't want to. So he steeled his resolve and declared, “I’ll do the best I can, I promise.” 

“I’m sure you will.” Seemingly satisfied, Ensui ruffled his hair again. “I’m curious to see what you can do.”

* * *

The mountains loomed overhead, reaching so high into the sky, they seemed to disappear behind the fluffy white mounds floating overhead. _ Kumogakure: The Village Hidden in the Clouds. _Iruka never thought the name would be so literal. Looking at the sprawling homes, shops, kage tower, hospital, and academy built so high up the sheer cliffs left him with a feeling of insignificance. This place held a different appeal than Konoha, but it was still alluring, almost beautifully so. 

“There must be so many shinobi with earth affinities here.” Kotetsu murmured in awe as they unloaded from the caravan. Ensui’s team had already disappeared, leaving Team Kakoi and Team Inoichi to make their way through the quickly crowding streets alone. 

Reaching out, Iruka grabbed his teammates’ hands and pulled them close. “Well, here we go.” Dozens upon dozens of genin teams from other nations quickly crowded the plaza where a stage was set up. Iruka recognized several hitai-ate from Suna, Iwa, Kiri -even a few of the smaller nations like Kusa, Ame and Shimo. Even with voices at a murmur, the mass of talking people drowned out all other noise in the immediate area. The shinobi -Kumogakure itself- was so intimidating it almost overwhelmed Iruka.

They gathered towards the stage, necks craned up to watch the elite shinobi awaiting them. _ These must be our exam proctors. _ Each wore Kumo’s one-strapped, white flak jacket, giving away their jounin and chunin rankings-

Iruka stared in disbelief.

-was the big guy with the sunglasses trying to _rap?_

A middle-aged shinobi with a black patch over his left eye stepped forward with his hands raised. The gathered teams and badly rapping jounin slowly fell silent, all attention turned to the proctor. “I am Dodai, head proctor of the seventy-eighth chunin exams. Welcome participants, to Kumogakure: The Village Hidden in the Clouds.” 

The resulting applause was so thunderous, Iruka felt it vibrate right through his chest. He laced his fingers through Izumo and Kotetsu’s, clutching his friends’ hands tightly. Both older boys stepped closer in a show of silent support. Every nerve ending seemed to come alive -buzzing with excitement, nerves, eagerness. They were finally here,_ finally! _

“The Academy is opened for registration. While in the village, all visiting shinobi will be required to wear an identifying armband.” A disapproving murmur erupted from the crowd as Dodai motioned to a stern, petite looking blonde forward. She turned to the side, showing off the bright yellow fabric tied around her upper arm. “This is for identification purposes and may be removed during the exam itself. During your stay, you’ll be housed in the newly constructed western barracks next to the Stadium. Between exam rounds, you’re to remain in the village center. Training grounds E to M have been set aside for your use. Jounin senseis will receive room assignments upon registering their teams.”

Ah, so the armbands were to make sure outsiders stayed where they were supposed to.

The blonde from the demonstration flipped her thick plait over her shoulder and clapped her hands twice. “I’m Yugito Nii. I’ll be your proctor for the first portion of your exams. All genin are to report to the Stadium tomorrow morning by six o’clock sharp! Anyone late need not bother to show up. Get a good night’s sleep, you’re going to need it. Dismissed.” 

The Konoha genin remained clumped together as the other shinobi began to disburse around them. Inoichi caught their attention with a wave. “Kakoi and I are going to register the teams. Wait here.” 

“Got it!” Yurika shot their senseis a thumbs-up and corraled their small group off to the side. The move was just enough to get them out of the way without taking them too far from the rendezvous point. Inoichi and Kakoi would still be able to spot them. 

It took almost an hour before Kakoi and Inoichi returned with a Kumogakure kunoichi in tow. Honey-yellow hair, cropped neatly at the base of her neck, brushed lightly against her collarbone as she tilted her head to take in their teams. The serious look on her pale face was one he’d often seen on Kakashi -the mark of a young elite. “My name is Samui.” She bowed to the genin with the grace only a skilled kunoichi possessed. “I will show you to the barracks.” 

“That sounds great, thanks for the help.” Genma’s response startled Iruka, though he managed to keep the surprise off his face. Glancing back over his shoulder, the genin was surprised to find all of Ensui’s team gathered as if they’d been waiting for Inoichi and Kakoi the entire time. _ They must’ve been familiarizing themselves with the new surroundings. _

The stealth of elite shinobi was truly astounding. 

“Don’t thank me,” Samui retorted curtly. “I am here simply because you need to be keyed into the wards.” With that, she turned heel and headed deeper into the village. 

The Konoha shinobi followed a few paces behind their escort. Iruka’s head swivelled from left to right, taking in the scenery around him in amazement. Kumogakure was a bustling metropolis built directly into the mountainside. Both shinobi and civilians alike moved freely from level to level using chakra and lifts. Without giving it a second thought, Samui walked right up a ninety-degree cliff towards a massive hotel-like building nestled several hundred metres up the side of a mountain. Never had Iruka been so thankful for Inoichi-sensei’s in-depth lessons on chakra control. His team made the treck with little difficulty while Team Kakoi struggled and slipped in places. The jounin ended up giving Santa and Yurika a helping hand while Genma piggybacked a very red-faced Natsu. 

Though the chakra usage was crude, many non-shinobi seemed to have enough control to chakra walk up the rocky cliffs. These civilians passed by with slight head nods or quiet greetings. How innovative, progressive and useful! Only civilians that were once academy drop-outs or retired genin like Shinko-chan had the ability to use chakra back in Konoha. It wasn’t that non-shinobi _lacked_ chakra, it was mostly the ability to mould and control untrained civilians lacked.

The hotel-like building turned out to be the barracks assigned to visiting shinobi. Samui directed their group up several flights of stairs with the simple explanation the west wing of the fifth floor was for their personal use. She keyed their chakra signatures into the wards and allowed the jounin to test and reinforce them with several of their own. With her assigned task completely, the kunoichi left them to their own devices. 

The genin teams crowded into the genkan while Ensui’s team did a quick sweep of their living arrangements. They secured the private wing quickly and professionally before giving the genin the go-ahead to explore what would be their home for the foreseeable future. 

From the genkan, the front hall opened into a communal lounge and kitchen area. At the corner of each adjoining wall was a door that led to the bedrooms. Each housed two double beds, a small sitting area with a kotatsu and private bathrooms. It was just big enough for them to live comfortably during their stay in Kumogakure.

Once everyone sufficiently familiarized themselves with the temporary home away from home, Ensui and the jounin senseis laid out the sleeping arrangements for their stay. The genin were to bunk in teams with their ‘assistant teacher’ acting as a second line of defence. If they were attacked, the genin would have the best chance of survival working with their teammates. Inoichi-sensei, Kakoi, Genma and Kito would share the third bedroom with Ensui bunking on the lounge’s sofa.

With the sleeping arrangement settled, the shinobi cooked a light supper and turned in early. Everyone was exhausted after a week of hard travel. Izumo and Kotetsu claimed the bed closest to the door. After laying out their outfits and supplies for the morning, both of his teammates passed out as soon as their heads hit their pillows. If Izumo cuddled a little closer to Kotetsu in his sleep, Iruka would never tell.

Stripping off his dirty clothes, Iruka changed into sleepwear with his back to Kakashi. He waited until he heard the covers rustle before turning around. Kakashi was already stretched out in bed, with his latest novel open, when Iruka crawled in beside him. Wiggling under the covers, he laid on his stomach and snuggled into the older teen’s side. Every nerve ending inside him seemed to be buzzing alive. The sensation left him feeling jittery and wide awake, despite his body's fatigue.

It would take forever to fall asleep.

A calloused hand carted through his loose hair and down his back. “Take a deep breath. You need to rest or you’ll be a liability tomorrow.” 

Biting the inside of his cheek, Iruka rolled onto his side so his head was pillowed on Kakashi’s arm. “Sorry, I guess I’m just a little anxious about what's going to happen."

The ANBU hummed in thought, the sound muffled behind his mask. “You wouldn’t be taking the exam if Inoichi thought you weren’t ready. As long as you trust in your teammates and your own skills, you’ll do fine. I have faith in you.” 

Heat flooded his face so startlingly and suddenly fast, Iruka felt his skin flush right up to his ears. His heart did a strange double-thump in his chest. Thoroughly embarrassed, Iruka swallowed hard around the growing lump in his throat. A heavy, warm fondness slowly settled the nerves quivering inside him. The genin wasn’t sure when exactly Kakashi became the most important person in his life, but there was no refuting it now.

Iruka loved Kakashi more than anyone else.

Pushing up on one elbow, Iruka hooked his fingers into the older teen’s mask and tugged it down to his chin. Kakashi stiffened, wariness and uncertainty flickering through his visible eye quickly. When he didn’t pull away, Iruka leaned in and caught Kakashi’s lips in a slow, deliberate kiss. His own lips tingled when he pulled back, a phantom pressure lingering until he licked his lips. “I’m really glad you’re here with me, Kakashi.” 

They’d shared only a handful of kisses in the months following that first one -each tentative and a little hesitant. Neither of them quite knew what to do with the sudden shift in their relationship. _Romance_ wasn’t something shinobi training prepared them for. It was unexplored territory, completely brand new and a little intimidating. Still, Iruka cherished each brush of lips, every hug and opportunity he got to hold Kakashi’s hand. 

It was a bond they shared only with each other. 

The softest shade of pink dusted Kakashi’s cheeks. “I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.” He pressed a chaste kiss to Iruka’s forehead before pulling his mask back into place. “Would you like me to read to you for a while?” 

Iruka resettled against Kakashi’s side. “Sure, what book are you reading now?”

Wrapping an arm around the genin’s shoulders, Kakashi tilted the cover so Iruka could see. _ “The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, _ it was written by my sensei’s sensei. I’m long overdue to give it a read.” 

Iruka pulled the blankets up over them both. “Sounds interesting, I've never read a book about fictional shinobi before.” 

"It's one of his earlier works. The novel was never that popular, but sensei always praised it as his favourite." Flipping open to the first page, Kakashi cleared his throat:

> _ “...A noise slashed the silence. Naruto was barely able to hide behind the tree as the enemy's kunai pierced into the tree trunk. _
> 
> _ ‘Won't you give up already?’ The ninja shouted, ‘I've had enough of this children's game!’ _
> 
> _ Breathing heavily, Naruto rummaged in his bag and found in it still a kunai and two smoke bombs. Without hesitating, he took one of the bombs out and threw it at the enemy ninja. _
> 
> _ The projectile exploded and the opponent was immediately covered in thick smoke. Naruto jumped out from behind the tree, kunai held firmly in hand and aimed at the enemy's silhouette. The sound of an impacting blade echoed through the forest…” _

Iruka was fast asleep before Kakashi reached the second page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The English translation of Jiraiya's The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi can be found[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Naruto/comments/6cbnam/translation_the_tale_of_the_utterly_gutsy_ninja/).


	4. The Exam Begins!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Inoichi plunges headfirst into Round One of the Chunin Exams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have come to the realization these chapters are going to be much longer than others in this series. I got to 5K words and realized I'd have to cut this one in half if I wanted to get it up before Christmas. So yeah, bare with me. Updates may be a bit slower because of the length. Quality over quantity right? 
> 
> There's canon-typical violence in this chapter. We're into the chunin exams. People will be getting hurt and killed. Take care while reading if that kind of thing bothers you.
> 
> Oh, and happy holidays to all you fantastic people. <3

Team Inoichi entered the stadium as a united front, hackles raised and instincts on high alert. This was it, the moment they’d been waiting for -the start of their chunin exams. In a matter of hours to days, they could be eliminated, killed or possibly victorious. Iruka didn’t let himself dwell on which outcome was most likely. They’d trained hard, completed mission after mission to get here. 

All his team could do was their best.

Team Kakoi remained with them long after their teams should’ve split. Regardless of their status as Konoha shinobi, they were as much competition as the genin from other participating villages. Iruka caught Yurika’s grin out of the corner of his eye. She shot him two encouraging thumbs up. His stomach twisted guiltily. He hoped they never had to fight each other. Yurika, Santa and Natsu were incredibly nice. He couldn't wait to be genuine friends with them once they were safely back in Konoha. 

The newly-built stadium stretched out for acres before them. It was broken into sections -forests, a lake, a small dessert section and an open meadow. It reminded Iruka of the Academy’s training grounds back in Konoha -the ones made specifically to hone the varying skills of pre-genin. A high, concrete wall encircled the bleachers, separating the man-made battleground from the audience. The ring was constructed specifically for the chunin exam’s person-versus-person match-ups. Making it through the elimination rounds came first, however. The chances of surviving those their first time through were less than 20%. 

Kotetsu’s hand on his elbow pulled Iruka from his thoughts. The other teams were filing into the stadium. Dozens upon dozens of genin their age and older clustered about the platform in the centre of the ring. 

At 6:00 am on the dot, Dodai stepped forward and raised his hands to draw their attention to the proctors. “Good morning, participants. Welcome to Round One of the Chunin Exams. Take a look around, these are your opponents for-”

“YEEEAH!!” The yell of a massive, dark-skinned proctor startled Iruka. He schooled his facial features, forcing himself not to physically react. Inoichi-sensei warned the exam began the minute they stepped into the stadium. Other teams would be sizing up the competition. Several other genin weren’t as quick to hide their surprise as Iruka. One Suna kunoichi almost jumped clean out of her skin.

Throwing his hands in the air, the man danced about on his toes with a grace someone his size shouldn't possess._“I’m the rapping Killer Bee! Green genin is all I see. When it comes to you bunch, I’ve got a gut feeling, a hunch. What I’m saying ain’t no lie, in this exam, you're all gonna die.”_

“Bee-sama, please stop frightening the participants.” Another proctor held his hands up before the dancing giant. 

“You’re interrupting Dodai-sama.” Samui simply grabbed Killer Bee by the flak jacket and yanked him back. " Your rudeness reflects poorly on Raikage-sama."  The gigantic man flailed, but his protests were cut off each time by a firm shake of the kunoichi’s head. 

Dodai cleared his throat, though none of the Kumogakure proctors seemed too put-upon by Killer Bee’s antics. “Yugito, Motoi, if you’d please?” 

The kunoichi with the braid stepped forward, her colleague at her side. Her mouth turned down in a frown as she gazed out over the assembled genin teams. “This first test will assess your ability to problem solve under pressure. Thinking on your feet is an essential skill for someone who’ll be responsible for leading their own team. Those lacking in this area are undeserving of promotion to chunin!” 

Motoi’s voice rang loud and clear over the crowd, “you have three hours.” A flash of blue chakra suddenly gathered around his foot as he slammed it into the platform. 

The ground beneath their feet rumbled and shook. Iruka’s hands shot out to grab his teammates. He caught Kotetsu by the hakama and Izumo by the elbow. That was all he had time for. The earth groaned as massive cracks split haphazardly Iruka’s heart leapt into his throat as it broke.

The silent cry didn’t make it past his lips. 

The world seemed to spin and drop around him. The ground gave way, opening in a gaping paw that plunged the genin down, down, down into utter darkness. His hold on his teammates broke. “Izumo, suiton!” Iruka cried out. His stomach lurched, but he went with gravity’s natural flow, letting his body flip as he ran through the familiar seals: tiger, ox, tiger, rat. Charka built in his stomach and lungs. “Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu!” 

“Suiton: Wild Water Wave!” Izumo’s call came from his left. 

Jerking his body weight to the side, Iruka fired the water stream. It crashed with Izumo’s, the force combining and propelling them both towards the wall. Pushing chakra into his feet and hands, Iruka latched onto the earthy embankment. The soft dirty skidded beneath his grip, momentum dragging him down several meters.

Bracing himself, Iruka dug his toes into the soft dirt. Drawing in a deep breath, he quickly pushed chakra through his feet’s tenketsu, reinforcing the earth to strengthen his hold. Izumo slid to a halt at his side, supply scroll already in hand. Curling his fingers into a ram seal, Iruka pushed his chakra into the scroll, "release!” 

With a puff of smoke, a rope with a small weight on the end appeared in Izumo’s hands. “Kotetsu!” Swinging the rope over his head like a lasso, Izumo swung the weighted end towards their third teammate. Iruka wrapped an arm around Izumo’s waist to brace for the sudden addition of Kotetsu’s weight.

Kotetsu opened his arms and legs, covering as much surface area as he could to slow his descent. At the sound of his name, Iruka saw Kotetsu twist to the side. Chakra sizzled along his hand and arms, reinforcing the muscles as he grabbed the rope. He had just enough time to wrap it around his arm and push chakra into the soles of his feet before he hit the embankment.

Izumo and Iruka grunted on impact, the added weight enough to drag them down the wall a few feet. The strain made the muscles in his upper back and arms ache painfully, but Iruka held firm. Several other teams clung scattered about the walls of the massive pit. Those less fortunate plummeted screaming to whatever fate awaited them below. 

Iruka shuddered, the terrified wailing far too reminiscent of  _ that night.  _ Fire licked before his eye, dust and smoke seemed to clog his nose and fill his lungs until he could barely breathe. People, civilian and shinobi alike, trapped in the rubble, crushed, pleading and crying-

_ -the cries of the damned.  _

A sharp tap in his ear, followed consecutively by three short ones, snapped Iruka to attention.  _ Steele to descend.  _ That was Kotetsu over their earring comms. 

“Iruka,” Izumo bumped the younger genin with his shoulder, dark eyes swimming with concern. The tugging on the rope indicated Kotetsu began his descent without waiting for confirmation. This wasn’t just a test of their skills or a survival game, it was a race against the clock. Kotetsu was always good at keeping them moving on a tight deadline.

“I’m okay, Zumo,” he reassured gently. There wasn’t time to lose it right now, he needed to stay focused. 

_ All clear by Steele, safe to advance.  _

_Confirmed by Dolphin and Moon, coming down. _

With a determined nod, the pair released the rope and picked their way down the steep incline using the chakra control Inoichi-sensei meticulously trained into them. A dim light came into view, Kotetsu’s silhouette a shadowy figure against the darkness. Iruka’s feet sunk into the muck when they hit the ground. Their friend greeted them with a hand on each shoulder, his mouth set into an uncharacteristic grim line. “...They didn’t all make it.” 

Iruka felt the colour drain from his face. “Oh, no," he bit back a whimper. Kotetsu turned his glowstick just enough to illuminate for the forms of several mangled figures. Iruka bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. Tears burned in his eyes regardless. A trembling hand raised to cover his mouth.  _ One, two, three… twelve bodies. That’s four whole teams gone just like that. _

The genin looked like ragdolls tossed carelessly aside, fear frozen in gruesome detail on many faces. Lifeless eyes stared into nothing, bones protruded through broken skin -dripped blood to the soft earth below. Now he understood why they signed waivers before being allowed into the stadium that morning. Kumogakure washed their hands of any liability. Each genin took the risk knowing they could perish. 

Still, what a horrible way to die. 

They were definitely all dead. No sound came from the mangled bodies, not a movement was seen or a flicker of chakra sensed. 

Grabbing Kotetsu’s arm, Izumo turned his face into his best friend’s shoulder. Kotetsu’s arms quickly came around both of them protectively. “We need to go.” 

"Just a minute, I can't leave them like this." With trembling hands and wobbling knees, Iruka grabbed the closest body -the Suna kunoichi startled by Killer Bee's rapping- and pulled her over to the wall. Arranging her broken limbs as best he could, he brushed her eyes closed. Clenching his jaw tightly, Iruka turned to the next body. Kotetsu and Izumo joined him without a word. Working together, they lined up each corpse neatly in a line. 

Iruka swallowed the bile threatening to rise up his throat. The more his hands shook, the tighter he clutched the bodies he moves. All he could see where the dead _-the damned-_ from the Kyuubi Attack. _This isn't the same, this isn't the same. _It didn't matter if these were their enemies, they deserved respect. Clasping his hands together, Iruka muttered a quick prayer over the bodies. Kotetsu and Izumo hugged him tightly. For a few moments, they remained there, unmoving beyond the tremors wracking their bodies. 

“Okay, let's go," Izumo finally murmured, "we’ll make sure the bodies are recovered once we find our way out.” 

With their fallen foes at their backs, the boys fell into a triangular formation. As a close-range fighter, Kotetsu drew his kodachi and took the lead. Izumo flanked his right with Iruka on the left, kunai at the ready. The path they followed quickly narrowed. Hedges raised around them, twisted things covered in gnarly thorns. They weaved and twined, turning the genin about several times so they had to retrace their steps. 

The first split came and went. Kotetsu took the path to the left. His teammates followed without protest, keeping his back covered in case they were attacked. That was the strange thing about the entire situation. Beyond the dead teams they left behind, Team Inoichi came across no one else. 

Not a hint, a trickle of chakra, nothing. 

The third fork in the path was what ultimately halted their progress. Tension settled over the team, pulled muscles taut to the point of snapping at the slightest shift. Kotetsu finally broke the thick tension by putting a voice to their concerns, “something not right here.” 

“We’re walking in circles.” Izumo motioned to a senbon protruding from the hedged wall. “I stuck that senbon there a bit ago. This is the third time we’ve passed by it. We’re either in a maze or a genjutsu.” 

Pushing a large amount of chakra into his hands, Kotetsu formed a ram seal. “Kai!” His chakra released into the air, washing over the three of them like a wave. He touched Izumo and Iruka’s shoulders for good measure.

Nothing happened. 

“Ibiki-senpai’s been teaching me how to break B and A-ranked genjutsu.” Kotetsu poked the thorny hedge with the point of his kodachi. “I don’t think this is one.”

“Then it’s a maze and we’re lost,” Iruka concluded. He looked up at the hedges towering almost eight metres above their heads. “It's too far to jump, but maybe I can climb it.” 

“Not with those thorns,” Kotetsu pointed out. 

Shrugging, Iruka pushed a healthy amount of chakra into his feet and hands. “I have to try.” Backing up a few paces, he took a running leap onto the wall. The chakra coating his hands protected them from the sharp nettles. Iruka gripped the thick vines, little prickles pressing into his palms without breaking the skin. A strange fluctuation suddenly spread from the points of contact, shooting along the wall like ripples on a lake. 

“Iruka watch out!” Izumo cried. 

He didn’t have time to react. The chakra that struck him was so dense, it knocked the air from his lungs. The sudden, brutal rush repelled Iruka from the wall before he had time to react. Izumo and Kotetsu moved fast enough to catch him. The force threw all three boys skidding across the muddy ground. 

“You okay, Ru?” Izumo helped ease Iruka into a sitting position and checked him over for injuries. 

“Y-Yeah I think so. Thanks for the catch.” The impact left him a little winded, but otherwise, he felt fine. 

“What the heck was that?!” Kotetsu waved his hand towards the maze wall. 

Izumo chewed on his bottom lip. “It must be a jutsu that activates when it comes in contact with chakra.” 

“Then let’s try cutting our way through.” Drawing his kodachi from its sheath, Kotetsu fell into a ready stance and sliced through the greenery with an overhead strike. The thick branches gave way beneath the sharp blade. Chakra pulsed from the cut. The genin watched in utter astonishment as the hedge knitted itself back together. “Shit! So much for that.”

“So we can’t climb over it or cut it?” Iruka stood, his hands flying through the seals for the newest fire jutsu Kakashi taught him -snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger. “Let’s see if it’ll burn then. Katon: Flame Bomb.” 

Chakra churned into bitter-tasting oil in his mouth. Spitting it out, Iruka ignited the oil and sent the fist-sized fireball hurling into the hedges. The fire caught, burned bright for several seconds, then petered out like it was deprived of oxygen. 

“That worked about as well as cutting it,” Kotetsu groaned and kicked the muddy earth.

“It’s too soft to dig under without hands and none of us are proficient with doton jutsu.” Izumo dug a kunai into the ground to emphasize his point. It sank it to the hilt and stuck. Izumo had to twist his kunai and yank hard to get it free again. “Looks like we’re doing this the old fashioned way.” 

“Got it,” Iruka pulled a piece of charcoal and blank scroll from his supply poach. His teammates gathered around as he unrolled the scroll. “Let’s make a map while we walk. It’ll help us get our bearings.”

“I’ll mark paths with my senbon so we know if we’re doubling back on ourselves.” Izumo pulled several of his custom-made senbon from his weapon’s holster. 

Kotetsu snapped two glowsticks and handed one to each teammate. “Sounds like a plan, let's get going.”

Progress was a slow, trial and error process. Several times they took the wrong path and came across Izumo’s senbon sticking out of the hedged walls. They stumbled upon more mangled corpses -dead from the plunge into the pit. Visibly shaken and trying not to cry, Team Inoichi carefully arranged the bodies along the maze’s wall and closed their eyes out of respect. 

“We’ll make sure your bodies are sent home.” Kotetsu folded his hands in prayer over the deceased before they continued on their way. 

None of them noticed, at first, when the tang of copper subtly began to mix with the maze’s natural, earthy smell. The deeper into the maze they ventured, however, the more pungent it became. Nose wrinkling, Iruka pulled his scarf up to block out some of the scent. “Do you smell blood?”

“Yeah, where’s it coming from?” Izumo nodded, a hand lifting to his face. 

Kotetsu had already pulled his facial bandage down over his nose. “Up ahead,” he motioned with a tilt of the head. “Get ready for anything.”

Suppressing their chakra as Inoichi-sensei taught them to, the genin crept forward slowly. The wall was kept to their right for cover as they approached a sharp bend in the path. Pulling a small compact mirror from his supply poach, Kotetsu used it to check around the corner. His face paled, grip tightening on the compact. 

Iruka and Izumo shared a look over his shoulder. They leaned over to see what spooked their friend so badly. It took a lot to get that kind of reaction from Kotetsu. 

Iruka’s blood ran cold.

_ More bodies. _

At least, if they could still be called that. Blood dyed the walkway and hedges crimson. Mounds of… of  _ flesh  _ lay scattered in clumps, hacked to ribbons with what looked like a massive, bladed weapon. Iruka clamped both hands over his mouth, fighting down a scream. Izumo inhaled sharply at his side. Someone  _ -something- _ completely slaughtered several of their fellow genin. 

“So many green children. Humans truly are such curious creatures," a voice mused from above them. 

All three genin leaped back, kunai and senbon flying at the presence looming above. The flash of a blade deflected their weapons with careless ease. A kunai sliced through Iruka’s thigh, another ricocheted off Kotetsu’s kodachi followed by several of Izumo’s deflected senbon. 

A grunt to his left had Iruka throw himself over Izumo in protective panic.  _ Get down, reduce the surface area, make it harder for the enemy to land a hit,  _ Kakashi’s lessons hit hard and fast -teamwork, protect each other, come back alive. They were all going home together at the end of this, damn it!

A senbon dug deeply into Izumo’s shoulder, pierced four inches into his brachial plexus. Bits of blood seeped through his sky-blue poncho. His arm hung limp and useless at his side. “It got my pressure point, my whole arm’s numb.” 

“Reaction time acceptable,” the voice noted. It reminded Iruka of Choubee-sensei assessing his abilities during the Academy’s graduation exam.

“Show yourself!” Kotetsu snarled, having put himself in a protective stance between his friends and the sudden threat. “What kind of demented genin butchers fellow shinobi like that?” 

“Foolish bravado is impetuous.” The  _ shink  _ of a weapon being sheathed rang over their heads. A human-sized figure flipped drown from the atop the maze wall, landing gracefully before them. The genin started in awed shock at a white-furred weasel stepped into the dim light of their glow sticks. Upon his back rested a scythe, fresh blood still dripping from the sharp tip. 

Shifting in front of Izumo, Iruka’s hand hovered over his weapon holster, fingers lightly grazing his shuriken. Ready to fight, ready to protect some of his most precious people. The tension to Kotetsu’s shoulders showed they shared the same resolve. 

The weasel studied them, unmoving, for an unnerving moment. With a bow of the head, he finally addressed them. “I am Kamatari. You have one opportunity to answer my riddle. Give the correct response and you may proceed unharmed. Do you wish to attempt the riddle?”

Kotetsu glanced back at his teammates over his shoulder. “What do you think?” No one needed to ask what would happen if they answered the ridden wrong. They could try outright fighting the weasel, but that seemed like a guaranteed way to end up as fleshy clumps on the maze floor. 

Iruka chewed on his bottom lip, teeth clenching hard enough to make his jaw ache. Izumo slowly twisted the senbon from his shoulder. His fingers twitched, more an involuntary reaction than his own doing. That wasn't good, Izumo impaired in a fight against Kamatari would put them at a disadvantage. “Giving it a try seems like the best option," he conceded.

“Very well,” Kamatari cleared his throat.  **“There is a word in which the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four signify a great man, and the whole word, a great woman. What is the word?** ”

It took only a few moments’ deliberations for Izumo to pipe up, “oh, this is easy! It’s like the word puzzles Inoichi-sensei used to make us do.” Flipping their makeshift map over on the ground with his good hand, he started writing a visual for his thought process with the charcoal. “So the two letters that mean  _ male _ are clearly  _ H and E _ as every other word that describes a male has more than two letters -him, his, boy, man, fellow, gent, sir, etcetera.” He scrawled the words out quickly as he spoke. “See what I mean?” Izumo and Kotetsu nodded. “It becomes clearer when you add an  _ R.  _ That turns  _ he  _ into  _ her _ , a word for  _ female. _ ” 

Iruka studied the paper as Izumo added the  _ R _ after the  _ H  _ and  _ E.  _ “I think I get it,” he brightened a bit as he caught onto his friend’s line of thinking. “So we need to find a word that means  _ a great man, _ that is four letters long and has  _ H, E, R _ as the first three letters for the next step.” 

Izumo grinned, “that’s it, Ru. I think that’s  _ hero _ . No other synonym I can think of seems to fit.” He scribbled _HERO_ in massive letters at the top of the scroll. “And by this logic, a great woman would be a  _ heroine.”  _

Leaning over the scroll, Kotetsu scratched the back of his head. He squinted at the words, clearly not following his teammates’ line of thinking. He’d always had the most difficulty with the mental problems Inoichi-sensei gave them for homework. “If you think that’s the answer, I trust you. Tell the creepy weasel so we can move on.”

Nodding to his teammates, Iruka turned to the great white weasel. “The word is heroine.” 

Kotetsu and Izumo tensed at his sides, their hands seeking his and holding tight. Whatever happened, they’d face it together. 

The weasel’s dark eyes closed. He nodded, curt and quick, but it was a confirmation. 

Relief washed over the genin. They were right! No one was going to end up sliced into tiny meat pieces. Unsheathing his scythe, Kamatari shoved the hande into the maze wall. Chakra pulsed, thick and potent -wind against earth- conflicting and slashing until one gave. The hedges parted to reveal a narrow gap just big enough for the boys to fit through. 

A shortcut, Kamatari made them a shortcut. 

“Thank you, Kamatari-san.” Iruka bowed to the weasel, a move his teammates quickly copied. Keeping a firm hold on each others’ hands, Team Inoichi wiggled through the gap. Izumo barely stepped through when the hedges closed behind them.

The ground beneath their feet shifted suddenly like the motion of the current when water walking. Iruka tried to step forward to keep his balance only to find his feet stuck firmly. “Ack! I can’t move my feet!” Izumo and Kotetsu kept a firm clasp on his hands to support him. Izumo seemed to be able to bend his fingers again, thank goodness.  


“Me either!”

“Why is the ground so sticky?!” 

The dull light from their glow sticks finally brought the new environment into view as their eyes adjust. Translucent, silky strands spread out in the cavern around them, draping off the earthen walls in layered weaves and coils. They’d stepped onto the very edge of the silverish gossamer. 

If Iruka didn’t know better, he’d say it was all one big  _ spiderweb.  _

All three genin looked up when a terrified, high pitch scream echoed from high above them. It sent shivers up Iruka’s spine. “Oh, heavens above,” a rather high-pitched, feminine voice exclaimed. “What has Kamatari-chan dropped into my beautiful web~?”

A sizzle of chakra danced along the sticky webbing, making it illuminate softly. The entire cavern lit up and Iruka froze in gut-twisting terror. There, dangling over twenty metres above their heads, was a gigantic spider. She hummed sweetly to herself as she spun a wailing, pleading genin up in her webbing. “There, a wonderful snack for later~” With a tug on one silken string, she suspended the squirming, bound body with several other wrapped up mounds. 

Izumo pressed into Iruka’s side. He could feel his friend trembling against him. “A-Are those all other genin?” 

“I don’t want to know.” Kotetsu’s grip on Iruka’s hand tightened almost painfully. 

“We have to get them down or they’ll smother in the webs.” Iruka hissed beneath his breath, not wanting to draw the attention of the slowly descending spider. “We can’t just leave them to die up there.”

“I don’t think they made it, Ruka,” Kotetsu responded in a small voice. He pointed to the tightly wrapped genin. His silken mound gave a final spasm and went completely, eerily, heartachingly still. The snared bodies hung limp like marionettes with broken strings. Iruka’s teeth clenched against the pain in his chest. Once more he wasn’t able to help someone that needed it. 

“Oh, let me get a look at your delectable little darlings~” The spider touched down a few metres away, her weight dipping the webbing beneath their feet. The gossamer brightened around them, bathing the boys in a silverish glow. “What adorable boys I’ve been sent! I am Kyodaigumo. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, my pets.” Her front half dipped into a strange curtsey. 

The boys exchanged looks quickly but forced themselves to stiffly return the bow.  _ Manners, manners, remember your manners. There’s no reason to anger a monstrous spider, just show her some respect and maybe she won’t eat us.  _ Iruka swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Th-the pleasure is ours… M’Lady?” 

“What wonderful manners you have! Such sweet boys~” Bringing her pedipalps to her face, Kyodaigumo wiggled and produced a sound that could only be described as a  _ squee.  _ The giddy giggle sent a shiver crawling down Iruka’s spine. “So many of the young ones that keep stumbling into my web are so rude. There’s no excuse to lack common courtesies, you know.” 

“N-No there isn’t,” Izumo stammered out an agreement. 

“I’m so pleased you agree~” She leaned down until those hundreds of eyes were level with their faces. “What are your names, My Darlings?”

It took all his self-control not to step back from the monstrously huge arachnid. “I’m Iruka, this is Izumo and Kotetsu,” he motioned to each friend in turn. “W-We’re a team, M’Lady.” 

“Aren’t you just the cutest little things? I could just eat you up!” Iruka’s knees alongst buckled at her sudden exclamation. He had no doubt she could swallow him whole. Kyodaigumo laughed and waved a leg in dismissal. “Don’t worry, Sweets, I’ve had my fill of fatty humans for now. A lady needs to watch her figure after all.” 

Kotetsu’s mouth opened and closed several times. Iruka elbowed him hard in the ribs before he said something that got all three of them killed. His oldest teammate often lacked a filter between his brain and mouth. 

Izumo was so pale, he looked like he could faint any minute. Clinging to Iruka, he mumbled in a breathless daze, “You’re a… very...  _ comely  _ spider… M-M’lady.”

“Such flatterers~ I quite like you three. Oh, yes I do. How about this? If you can answer my riddle correctly, I’ll show you a shortcut that leads directly to Aoda-kun’s lair. What do you think?” 

Iruka did _not _want to think about what kind of giant animal Aoda could possibly be. “I think we are v-very  _ fortunate  _ to have come across such an uh, thoughtful arachnid.” He squeezed his teammates’ hands, hoping to draw strength from their support. Kyodaigumo was downright terrifying. One wrong word could have them all suffocating in her webs. “Thank you for the opportunity.” 

"Nonsense!" Every single eye curved into a sickly sweet smile. "You can't proceed through the maze without either answering my riddle correctly or killing me. I assure you the latter is a horrendous misjudgement of a genin team's capabilities." She motioned vaguely to the spun bodies suspended above them. “Let’s get started:  **I'm a very valuable thing to have. Use me right now, you should. Yet if you cut off my hindquarters, I'd be but a piece of wood. What am I?** I'll give you some room to think. Good luck, My Sweets."

With the riddle given, Kyodaigumo moved away from them. "Oh man," Kotetsu let out a quiet groan as all three genin sank to their knees. The webbing's stickiness was temporarily forgotten. Fine tremors ran through Iruka. Izumo pressed his forehead to Kotetsu's shoulder. "Let's solve this thing and get out of here, yeah?"

Only, this ridden proved to be a heck of a lot harder than the last. Izumo, Kotetsu and Iruka mulled over it in frustrated silence for several minutes without any luck. 

“...We’re using our brains right now,” Iruka finally pointed out. It had been the only thought rolling around in his head for a while. 

Kotetsu snorted, “If you cut the hindquarters off  _ brain,  _ you’re left with  _ bra _ , not  _ wood.  _ T hat's clearly not the right answer, Ru.”

Izumo's eyes rounded in delight. “Ko, that’s it, you're a genius!” He unrolled the scroll again and made two columns above their make-shift map. He titled both:  _ Things We're Using  _ and  _ Words for Wood. _ "Okay, now all we have to do is brainstorm and find a word from the second column that's the start of a word from the first." 

"That's brilliant, quick thinking, Ko!" Iruka gave his confused friend a high five. 

"Uh, glad I gave you an idea?" 

Izumo and Iruka just grinned. 

Working together, the three genin started compiling words that fit under each header. With the lists compiled, one by one they went down both columns, cross-referencing the words and marking off ones that didn’t fit the riddle. 

"What about this?" Iruka poked the word  _ logic _ with his piece of charcoal. “If you do like Ko did with  _ brain  _ and cut the 'hindquarters' off  _ logic,  _ you’re left with  _ log _ . That's another word for  _ wood.” _

Kotetsu squinted at the page. "Sounds good to me."

Izumo nodded. "Nothing else we brainstormed seems to fit."

"Did I hear an answer~?" Kyodaigumo trilled in a sing-song voice. The massive arachnid sauntered across her webbing to where Team Inoichi was still stuck like sitting ducks. The genin stiffened, hackles raised from her close proximity.

The spider paused her approach, head tilting to the side in thought. Her delighted laugh shook the webbing. The genin grabbed each other for support so as not to get stuck further. "Why yes, such clever little humans. You figured it out. How wonderful, I knew you could do it. Now hold on tight, I wouldn't want to accidentally cut off a limb or send you plunging to your death. You're really such fragile things." With a flick of her talons, the genin were cut free and scooped up by a massive, hairy leg. 

Cut off from the larger web’s steady flow of chakra, the viscous strands withered and peeled from their sandals. Kyodaigumo skittered up the cavern wall with surprising grace. Biting the inside of his cheek, Iruka forced himself not to look away as they were carried past the web-spun bodies of their fellow genin. More corpses for them to make sure got retrieved before they became spider chow. That was all his team could do. Never had he felt so useless and small.

Setting the boys down on a small ledge, Kyodaigumo shoved some of her webs aside to reveal a small alcove just large enough for them to crawl through one at a time. "Keep to the left each time the path splits and you'll make it through just fine, Sweets." 

"Thank you for your help, M'lady." Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu all bowed to the gargantuan spider. If manners truly were the only thing stopping her from eating them it would be foolish to drop etiquette now. 

"Nonsense! You darling boys are a testament to your species," Kyodaigumo wiggled happily. "Do be careful," she fussed over them, gently brushing the dust from their clothes and patting them each on the head with her pedipalps. "And tell Aoda-kun hello for me." 

"Don't worry we will," Kotetsu cut in and quickly ushered Izumo and Iruka into the hole. It was a tight, uncomfortable squeeze, but they managed with a bit of maneuvering and shifting of gear. Kotetsu called back a final goodbye over his shoulder and impatiently nudged Iruka with the hilt of his kodachi. "Come on guys," he hissed quietly. "That spider is terrifying. Let's go before she decides she wants to keep us or something." 

Kyodaigumo’s gushing could be heard ringing down the tight passageway behind them. “Such wonderful, well-mannered sweethearts. Not like the other, rude little cretins that marred my beautiful webbing. I could just wrap them up tight and never let go…” 

Getting the heck out of this maze was the best idea Iruka ever heard. 


	5. Riddle Me This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of the Chunin Exam comes to a close.

The small tunnel split less than twenty metres in. Taking Kyodaigumo’s instructions seriously, Izumo veered to the left. It was a tight squeeze, especially for Kotetsu with the kodachi at his hip and the dual scimitar affixed to his back. The tunnel broke again, parting twice more in quick succession, then sharply veered upwards. The trio scrambled up the narrow passage using chakra to keep their hands and feet from slipping. 

After a harrowing climb, the tunnel levelled back out again and they continued on. The cramped passage sweltered alarmingly hot with the altitude increase. Iruka pulled his green shuriken scarf and tied it around his waist. Izumo wiggled out of his poncho, opting to leave the extra layer behind. 

They crawled across uneven terrain, the hard rock rubbed knees and palms raw. The twisting, winding passage quickly made all sense of direction almost impossible to determine. If not for Kyodaigumo’s instructions, they surely would’ve gotten lost.  After what seemed like ages, the dark alcove finally began to widen ever so slightly. A cool breeze flowed over the team’s sweat-soaked faces. Iruka exhaled slowly, some of the tension he carried in his shoulders and back eased. An exit. They finally found the way out.

Izumo’s fingers curled into a dog hand sign, ready to defend all three of them in case of an attack. The narrow tunnel made them sitting ducks. There was next to nothing Iruka or Kotetsu could do trapped behind their teammate like this. So, they inched forward slowly, glow sticks illuminating the way. 

The tunnel eventually widened enough for the trio to fit shoulder-to-shoulder at the alcove’s entrance. The passage opened into what appeared to be a rocky cave. The sound of running water and their descent echoed through the otherwise silent grotto. Masking their chakra to the best of their abilities, the genin picked their way down the sheer cliff face to the stony ground below. A narrow river trickled through the grotto's center. 

Moving back to back, the boys each drew a weapon, muscles taut and primed to strike if they were attacked. 

Thankfully, nothing happened. 

The cave was eerily empty. No bodies or massive animals in sight. Hackles raised, Iruka felt his stomach flip anxiously. Was that supposed to make him feel better or worse? _Maybe this one eats genin alive._ Shuddering at the unwelcome thought, Iruka tightened his grip on his kunai. 

“So, where’s this Aoda that's supposed to here?” Kotetsu asked after a moment of pregnant silence. 

No sooner had the words left Kotetsu’s mouth than the river began to ripple and part in a cascade. Water splashed back into the river, pouring down midnight blue scales as a gigantic snake rose from beneath the surface. “This one is Aoda.” The snake’s upper body curved into a graceful bow. He towered high above the genin’s heads. “Welcome, shinobi-sama.” 

Shock clenched Iruka’s chest painfully, his face paling quickly. Clutching his kunai in a death-grip, he backpedalled quickly, forcing his teammates away from the rocky riverbank. Aoda was a giant snake! This was so much worse than a big spider. So, so much worse. This one could poison them, let them die an agonizingly slow death, eat them alive and let his stomach acids digest them, or crush them in his coils. Iruka  _ hated  _ snakes ever since one bit him as a child. Maybe the fear was a little unfounded considering his chosen profession, but _holy cow!_ Every instinct inside him screamed to get his teammates out of there.

Two hands grasped both his shoulders and forced Iruka into a low bow. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” Izumo responded quickly. “Kyodaigumo asked us to tell you ‘hello’ from her.” 

“This one is unworthy and most honoured to receive Kyodaigumo-sama’s greeting. The sincerest of gratitudes for relaying the message.” The snake bowed so low his nose almost hit the ground. “Are you prepared to accept this one’s riddle?”

“Are we, Ru?” Kotetsu’s gaze landed on his face, silently expectant. 

Iruka breathed deep through his nose and out through his mouth to force his heartbeat out of his throat. He was a shinobi, he couldn’t panic over something like this. Aoda was a trial in the chunin exams, just like Kamatari and Kyodaigumo were before. He needed to get it together and help his friends through this hurdle. Another riddle, another possibility to advance a little farther through this strange maze of interconnected hedges and caverns. 

Swallowing around the thick lump in his throat, Iruka nodded stiffly. “W-We are.” His heart was beating so hard, Iruka was sure the organ was trying to work its way out of his chest.

“Most excellent.” Aoda’s eyes curved into a pleased smile.  **"I am not alive, but I grow. I don't have lungs, but I need air. I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?”**

Iruka’s brows furrowed. Something non-living that can be killed? Was an abstract concept like creativity or-

“It’s  _ fire."  _ Kotetsu announced loud and clear. 

Wait, what? Iruka blinked at his oldest teammate. “Are you sure?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking. Not because he doubted Kotetsu, but for the very well-known fact his friend royally sucked at riddles and brain teasers. He knew Izumo and Genma always walked him through the ones Inoichi-sensei sent home. 

“Yeah, don’t be so hasty, Ko. We can take some time and work through this together,” Izumo pointed out. 

Kotetsu’s dark eyes smouldered when he looked at his best friend. “It’s fire, Zumo.” 

Biting the inside of his cheek, Iruka studied the older boy intently. Kotetsu sounded so sure of his answer. It was the kind of confidence he showed when talking about Iaido or genjutsu. That was all the reassurance Iruka needed. “If Kotetsu says the answer’s fire, then that’s the answer.” 

Izumo’s mouth opened and closed rapidly several times. “Okay, I trust you guys,” he finally relented with a sigh and turned to address Aoda. “Our answer is  _ fire.”  _

The snake’s large, forked tongue slithered out of his mouth. Head tilted to the side, his eyes curved into merry half-circles. “That is correct.” He motioned with his tail towards the water. “Follow the current downstream and you shall come across the next obstacle.” 

Grabbing a surprised Izumo and Iruka by the hands, Kotetsu bowed to the massive snake. “Thank you, Aoda-san.” He waited just long enough for Aoda to return the gesture, then marched the three of them out onto the river’s surface. 

As instructed, they headed downstream at a light jog. The only sounds in the quiet cavern were their chakra-coated feet splashing lightly on the water’s surface. Kotetsu lead the way a few paces ahead of his teammates, his back to them the entire time. Izumo and Iruka exchanged a concerned look after several tense moments. 

“Hey, Ko,” Iruka began gently. “How did you know the answer?” 

Kotetsutopped abruptly, still refusing to look at his friends. His shoulders hunched, then quivered softly. A pang of empathy washed over Iruka as he and Izumo circled around their teammate. “Mother used to talk about how sacred flames were in her culture.” Tears brimmed in his eyes, but Kotetsu did his best not to cry. “She described fire similarly to how Aoda did in the riddle, so yeah. That’s how I knew,” he finished quietly.

Izumo and Iruka moved at the same time. Wrapping Kotetsu up in their arms, they hugged him tightly. Izumo pressed his face into his best friend’s shoulder. Kotetsu remained stiff in the hold, eyes squeezed tightly shut and bottom lip bit between his teeth. A broken sob escaped him just as the tears spilled over. Kotetsu grabbed their arms, clinging to his friends as he cried.

Team Inoichi stayed like that for what felt like hours, simply hugging Kotetsu tightly as he wept through his grief. Iruka felt the same anguish still ebbing deep in his heart. Even though he was adopted and he loved the Naras dearly, three years did little to ease the pain of losing his parents. A small part of him would always mourn the loss.

“...I’m okay now,” Kotetsu whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. 

Izumo pressed his temple to the side of his best friend’s head. “You sure?” 

Scrubbing his uwagi sode over his face, Kotetsu nodded. “We need to keep moving before we run out of time.”

“As long as you’re sure.” Iruka gave the older genin a final squeeze before pulling back. 

They fell back into formation, letting Kotetsu resume the lead. The farther they ran, the heavier and muggier the air became. Iruka's clothes, damp with sweat, clung to him like a second skin. Moss slowly covered the cavern walls, clumps of grass growing between boulders. The rocks slowly gave away to lush greenery. Shrubs and massive bushes covered the cavern walls. 

Team Inoichi’s pace slowed to a walk as they took in the changes. Moss illuminated the alcove in a soft blue light that only added to the place’s otherworldly aura. The shrubbery thickened and grew into massive trees, oaks, maples, and various evergreens. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Izumo murmured in astonishment. 

Kotetsu nodded jaw-slacked while Iruka jogged a bit ahead of his teammates. The sound of rushing water caught his attention. It might be a way out or another clue on how to advance further through this haphazard maze. In the end, Iruka found something much more breath-taking.

“Izumo, Kotetsu!! There’s a waterfall over here!!” He called back to his friends in excitement. The water cascading into the river was so clear, smooth multi-coloured pebbles could be seen beneath the rushing water. The river seemed to sparkle and ripple around his feet. 

Kotetsu and Izumo jogged over, faces flushed with amazement. “Holy cow! This is awesome!!” Kotetsu exclaimed. After the horrors of their last three trials, this felt almost like an oasis in the heart of a deadly desert. 

Beauty hidden away amongst the brutality. 

“Oh ho, so another team finally made it this far.” Having gotten used to the pattern by now, the boys dipped into a bow when an elderly, Pakkun-sized frog shimmered into view. Tapping his walking cane atop the water’s surface, he motioned them over with one webbed hand. “Come a little closer, tell this old man your names.” 

He seemed friendlier than the other talking animals (and not in the terrifyingly creepy way Kyodaigumo was). The genin closed the distance between them, still balanced gracefully on the river’s surface. The current was more erratic this close to the waterfall, but Inoichi-sensei taught them the chakra-control they needed not to plunge under the water. 

“I’m Iruka Umino-Nara and these are my teammates Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki.” Iruka motioned to his friends as he said their names. 

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Fukasaku, toad sage of Mount Myoboku.” The anthropomorphic frog laughed heartily. “Konohagakure has sent some fine genin this year. Jiraiya-boy must be thrilled his village is thriving in this time of peace.” 

All three genin stared at the frog in astonishment.

“Wait-”

“It’s not-”

“You can’t possibly mean-”

“Jiraiya-sama of the legendary sannin?!” They wailed in unison.

“Oh ho, so you’ve heard of him? Jiraiya-boy is my unruly student.” Fukasaku tapped his cane on the water again, clearly delighted with their jaw-slackened awe. “The boy managed to make a name for himself after all, good, good.” 

“Heard of him?” Kotetsu sputtered. “He’s one of the greatest shinobi ever!” 

“Oh? To me he’ll always be a bumbling tadpole.” Despite the less than favourable description, the elderly frog spoke with fondness. “Are you boys ready for your final riddle?”

“We are.” 

“That’s the spirit.” Fukasaku cleared his throat and annunciated clearly, “ **I am invisible within the mist, my body flows like water. I move amongst the clouds, I strike like lightning. My feet are firm on the earth, my will is like rock. My mind shifts like the sand, I am swift as the wind. I twist like a leaf, every strike I make is akin to fire. I am one who endures. Who am I?** Take time to think this through, young ones. You must understand the significance if you are to move forward.”

Fukasaku leapt onto a giant lilypad nearby to await their answer. Izumo, usually so quick to start analyzing the word problems, remained silent and contemplative. There was something different about Fukasaku’s riddle, something that weighed heavily at the heart as much as the mind. 

Iruka ran the words over in his mind. There was no tricky hook or strategy to logic their way into an answer. Somehow, it felt like they weren’t supposed to do that with this one. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was a gut feeling, maybe something more. Whatever the reason, it felt like the answer was an essential part of him, a comfortable challenge. 

Something to strive for, a goal always just out of reach.

The intimate calling stirred at something inside him. At that moment, Iruka realized he knew the answer and most likely always had. It wasn’t just apart of him, it was the very core of his being. The answer was him, his team, the village, _everyone. _

Iruka looked to his teammates. Two pairs of dark eyes stared back at him in silent understanding. They’d come to the same conclusion he had. With a nod, Iruka held his hands out to his teammates. Izumo and Kotetsu took hold without hesitation. 

“Have you come to a conclusion, my boys?” The old frog seemed to relax on the lilypad, muscles loose and lazy. Iruka caught the sharp glint in his eyes. Fukasaku still studied, still assessed them subtly. 

The trio faced Fukasaku as they did every obstacle they came across since becoming a team; as a united front. “We have.” 

“Oh ho, and what is that?” 

“We are the ones who endure.” Iruka’s fingers tightened around his friends’ hands. “We are shinobi. The answer is  _ shinobi.”  _

Brows furrowing, Fukasaku’s sharp eyes remained fixed on their faces. It sent a shiver up Iruka’s spine. He held firm to his teammates, refusing to let the old frog see how nervous he was. Without a word, Fukasaku pointed his cane towards the waterfall. The cavern around them rumbled, the water rippling and splashing beneath their feet from the tremours. 

Kotetsu ducked beneath Iruka’s arm, grabbed the back of his and Izumo’s shirts, and dragged them to shore where they could get a better footing to fight. Iruka pulled shuriken from his weapon holster with his heart in his throat. 

No enemies appeared. No one attacked them. 

The rumbling steadily zeroed in on the waterfall until the rushing current split it right in half, revealing a passageway hidden beneath. “You answered correctly!” Fukasaku leaped into the air, giving them a clear path through the opening. “Now show me your resolve as shinobi!”

Grinning, Kotetsu sheathed his kodachi. “You guys ready?” Clasping his hands together, Kotetsu pulled his chakra through his limbs towards his core and suppressed it with the same aggressively stubborn impatience he always used when manipulating his chakra. 

Iruka and Izumo quickly followed their teammate’s lead and suppressed their chakra. “Can you give us some cover, Ru?” Izumo asked.

“I’m on it.” His hands slid through the seals: ox, snake, ram, and held on the last one. “Hiding in Mist Jutsu.” Keeping the majority of his chakra suppressed, Iruka let a small amount trickle into the river. Mist drifted from the water, thickening the air and obstructing sight. 

Izumo and Kotetsu flanked him on either side, the dull clang of metal the only indication they’d drawn weapons. Keeping his chakra compressed and maintaining his mist jutsu was the extent of his multitasking ability. He didn’t have the concentration to use a weapon on top of the chakra suppression and jutsu. Iruka trusted his teammates to have his back, he just had to do his part.

Together, they crept silently through the opening in the waterfall. Iruka let the mist stretch out, adding small bits of chakra as they advanced to further decrease visibility. 

The muffled voices of surprised people drifted back to Team Inoichi through the mist. Iruka felt Kotetsu shift at his side as he slid into a ready stance. There were people up ahead. Using stealth was the right choice. Only sensors and byakugan users could see through the Hiding in Mist Jutsu. It offered great cover as long as the caster stayed focus. 

A light tapping sounded from the three-way comm in his left ear.  _ Steele and Moon advancing.  _ The slightest ruffle of Kotetsu's hakama was the only indicator he had for when his teammates moved. A few angry growls, a frustrated shout and the sound of clashing weapons rang ahead of him. 

Iruka shifted to press his back to the wall, ready to build his chakra and let it bleed into his ears to get a clearer idea of his teammates’ and their enemies' locations. Inoichi-sensei said the ability was a type of sonar his mother used previously. It wasn’t a clan jutsu or anything special like that, just a bonus from having good chakra control and an above-average reserve to pull from. He hadn’t quite grasped the technical side of it yet, but the trick worked well in conjunction with the mist cover- 

“Drop the jutsu.” The cold steel of a kunai pressed to Iruka’s throat. The genin bit his bottom lip, muscles tensing on reflex. How?! He hadn’t sensed anyone approach, no KI, no chakra, nothing! Genin weren’t that good at suppressing chakra. Not even his team, with over two years of practice, could suppress their presence entirely. That’s why Iruka used the Hiding in Mist jutsu to cover them. This must be a sensor. “What’re you waiting for? I said drop the damn jutsu!” The blade bit into his skin just deep enough to draw blood. 

The sharp sting kicked take-down tactics Kakashi drilled into him, until they were second nature, into action. His hand came up to grab his captive’s wrist and hand before Iruka even realized he broken the hand seal. Closing his finger’s around a girl’s slender wrist, Iruka yanked the kunai to the left and down, away from his body. He slammed his shoulder into her elbow joint and ducked beneath her arm. Digging his nails into her skin, he tugged her forearm close to his collarbone, twisting her arm at an unnatural angle. 

“Fucking brat!” She cursed and struggled but Iruka held tight. He gasped for breath as his head came free. A sharp pain stabbed through his shoulder and shot right to his fingertips. Warm blood quickly soaked his shirt sleeve. Another kunai! He could feel it lodged almost to the bone. Gritting his teeth, Iruka lunged through the pain and rammed the kunai into her ribs. 

As soon as he heard a pained grunt, Iruka aimed a kick for the source and felt his foot come into contact with a nose and mouth. He didn’t wait to see how she’d react. Iruka took off running. He had to get to Izumo and Kotetsu! If someone was able to find him, then they were definitely in trouble. Yanking the kunai from his shoulder, he ripped the blood-soaked sleeve away and slapped a field dressing over the wound. The adhesive held it to his skin, though blood soaked through in a matter of seconds. 

He fished a generic antidote from his medical pouch and chugged it down. The bitter taste lingered on his tongue. Iruka didn’t know if the kunai was poisonous, but he couldn’t take the chance. A healthy douce of paranoia, Kakashi would be proud. The last of his mist dissipated to reveal the passage had warped into a solid, concrete tunnel at some point. 

Evidence of battle covered every inch of the corridor. Weapons littered the floors and walls -senbon, kunai and fuma-shuriken. Didn’t Yurika say something about her family specializing in fuma-shuriken? The first body he came across was a Kumo genin, unconscious but not dead. His teammates were a bit ahead, crumbled in a heap against the wall. Two more teams lay just around the corner.

Water pooled into puddles from a suiton jutsu. Iruka found a sputtering mad Kiri kunoichi with both hands frozen to the wall a few paces down from the last unconscious shinobi. That had to be Izumo’s work. He knocked her unconscious and kept going. He didn’t start to really worry until he found a haphazard trail of ice and blood. Kneeling down, he rubbed two fingers through the crimson splatter. It was still wet and warm. That meant the wound was most likely fresh. 

The clash of blades up ahead should’ve made him pause. A smart shinobi would hang back, try to get a vantage point and assess the situation. Instead, Iruka pushed himself to move  _ faster!  _

There! 

Just ahead were his teammates. Izumo was down, laid out completely on his stomach. Kotetsu locked swords with another Kiri-nin, keeping himself between the enemy and Izumo. Kotetsu ducked now, a well-aimed strike poised to slice through his opponent’s hip when Iruka saw them. Two more genin sprang from the puddles littered about, kunai aimed to kill. 

“Kotetsu duck!” Iruka forced the fingers on his injured arm to form the hand seals: snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger. “Katon: Flame bullet!” Kotetsu threw himself over Izumo just as Iruka’s jutsu hit the enemy genin. Both went down screaming and rolling to put out the flames igniting their clothes. 

“Run!” Iruka grabbed Izumo’s arm, quickly yanking the older boy onto unsteady feet with Kotetsu’s help. A quick once over showed him scraped, and dirty but otherwise okay. He went down from using too much chakra, not from an injury. They could work with this. 

“Come on Zumo, don’t pass out on us now,” Kotetsu growled through gritted teeth and flung his best friend’s arm over his shoulders. Red stained his hakama's waistband at his lower back from the extra effort. So that's what the blood-splatter was from, damn. 

“Not... gonna...” Izumo trailed off, his face deathly pale. 

“We have to keep going!” Iruka ducked beneath Izumo’s other arm, despite the pain ebbing from his injured shoulder. “We’re finishing this together.” 

Iruka and Kotetsu mostly dragged their teammate down the concrete corridor. Izumo’s legs shook with each step, but he kept going. They refused to let him stop. Doing so could mean another ambush. “We’re almost there,” Iruka coaxed breathlessly. They were getting close, they just had to be. “Just a little farther.” 

The tunnel came to an abrupt end. 

The genin stumbled to a stop, shock almost dropping them to their knees when the adrenaline fled their systems. “No damn way!” Kotetsu cursed angrily. “We passed all those trials! This can’t be it!” 

Before Iruka could say anything to calm him down, Kotetsu dumped Izumo into his arms. Stomping up to the wall, Kotetsu clapped his hands aggressively together and screamed, “Let. Us. _Through!!"_ The burst of chakra he released was so raw and dense, it washed over Iruka in a burning wave that stole the breath from his very lungs. "KAI!" The chakra sent a chill down his back. It felt so _angry _like years and years of sorrowful rage had been stored up and was just now being released. 

The concrete wall before them rippled, then broke into fragments like a shattered mirror. On the other side, a stunned Motoi stared at their team unmoving. He blinked once, twice, then schooled his features to a neutral expression. “Hurry,” the proctor ushered them through the opening and quickly fixed the wall. 

Iruka’s mind reeled. A genjutsu?! Had Kotetsu figured that out or was it a lucky fluke?

“Thirteen minutes remain,” Yugito Nii announced curtly. Her dark eyes flickered from the pocket watch in her hand to the battered, confused genin huddled before her. “Team Inoichi of Konohagakure has passed the first part of the chunin exam.” 

“W-We what?” And that’s when Iruka finally noticed the other genin teams seated throughout the room on plush sofas, eating snacks and being tended to by medical-nin. The trio stared in awe before Izumo’s legs finally buckled under the strain. Bearing the extra weight, Kotetsu and Iruka helped their friend to an unoccupied sofa and unceremoniously flopped down on it. 

A juice pack was shoved into Iruka's hands as a medic began looking over the wound on Kotetsu’s shoulder. It didn’t quite seem real. This was it? They’d actually managed to make it out of that maze, past the terrifying animals, riddles and other genin all within the time limit? 

Izumo and Kotetsu looked just as stunned. “Did we really...?” Izumo asked tentatively as a medic eased his chakra-exhaustion with glowing green hands. What jutsu had he used to leave him in such a state? 

“This is your first attempt at the chunin exams, right? Give yourselves a while to process the trial. I know it feels surreal right now, but yes, you made it.” Smiling reassuringly, Motoi opened Iruka’s juice pack for him. “Congratulations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am paying homage to my favourite KakaIru fanfiction with that last riddle. It is from the story Shinobi No Mono by Caeseria. It can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/515872). I cannot recommend this story enough! If you haven't read it, please consider doing so. <3


	6. How Many?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chunin Exam's first round leaves Iruka's team shaken. Kakashi tries to help in his own way.

The genin Inoichi escorted into the common room were not the boisterous, excited boys they expected coming back from a first-round pass. Kakoi already returned with his own far-too quiet team. Kito kept a professionally neutral face as he and Kakoi swept the three genin into their bedroom. Natsu’s broken wail cut off as the door swung shut. That was all they heard from the team for the last forty-five minutes. 

With Ensui and Tenzo out on patrol, Genma and Kakashi awaited the return of Team Inoichi in anxious silence. An uncomfortable feeling churned inside him. Crossing his arms over his chest, Kakashi pushed it stubbornly. Iruka trained hard. Kakashi did his best to provide the scaffolding he needed to get stronger. He improved steadily, but the genin still wore his heart on his sleeve. 

Iruka was so easy to read and cared far too much. 

Now, three shells stood in Inoichi’s loose hold, heads lowered and eyes downcast. Genma bit down on his senbon hard enough to make it bob between his teeth. After four years as ANBU partners, Kakashi picked up on Genma’s mannerisms _-his emotions-_ with ease. The slight quiver in his shoulders, the tension in his jaw. Both spoke of carefully contained worry. 

“Well Gremlins, did you make it?” Genma inquired, voice loose with false cheer. 

The three genin blinked, the question slow to fully register. “Oh,” Izumo was the one to finally answer. “We passed...” 

The quiet admittance lingered in the common room like a suffocating fog. Kakashi’s fingers dug into his forearm hard enough to turn his knuckles white. For their minds to be that preoccupied, were they trying to compartmentalize whatever happened during the trial?

“Well good, you must be hungry after all that. There’s leftovers from lunch. You want some?” Genma shoved his hands in his pockets. Kakashi noticed them clench beneath the shinobi-grade material. 

“I’m sure they do.” Inoichi patted Izumo and Kotetsu’s shoulders.

The genin flinched. Three sets of dark eyes swam with barely contained tears.

“No thanks," Kotetsu mumbled.

“Sage damn it,” Genma cursed under his breath, "enough of this.” Stepping forward, he hoisted Izumo and Kotetsu up like they were small children. They both clung to their guardian, arms at his neck and faces pressed into his shoulders. With a genin balanced precariously on each hip, Genma bowed his head to Inoichi. “I’m sorry for butting in, Inoichi-san, but please let me take care of them.” 

"You're not going to be there on missions with them, Genma." Despite the disapproval, Inoichi's mouth set in a firm line. A habit the man showed when emotionally torn. 

Iruka's face paled, silent panic darkened his eyes. Without his teammates' physical proximity to ground him, Iruka floundered. 

Kakashi had enough. True, he and Genma wouldn’t be there on missions to de-escalate their precious people but, “we're here now." Smart shinobi trained to see tomorrow, but they didn’t plan for the future. Grabbing Iruka's wrist, he pulled the genin into their temporary bedroom.

The last thing he heard before closing the door was Genma saying, "we're taking the bedroom for a while, sorry for the hassle, Inoichi-san.” 

Iruka stood silently at his side. Kakashi dropped to his knees before the genin, hands tentatively reached to cup pale cheeks. The skin was too clammy beneath his fingers, those dark eyes too empty. Kakashi could see Iruka trying to push it all down -the emotions, the memories, the trauma.

Trying to push it down, lock it away, cover it over like shinobi are supposed to. 

Only, Iruka felt so openly and readily. A compassionate bleeding heart. Iruka couldn’t put a cap on that any more than he could change the very core of what made him well, _ Iruka. _Instead, the genin was left with an overflowing chasm inside. Kakashi forced his head up, bringing them eye-to-eye. Grief and guilt stared back at him from those bottomless brown depths. 

Kakashi barely noticed the slight quiver to his fingers. That was the same, silently solemn look Rin carried after Obito’s death. Rin drowned in her own bereavement before Kakashi pulled his head out of his ass enough to notice and call her on it. The same would not happen to Iruka. “How many did you kill?” 

“W-What?” The question startled a flicker of life back into those listless eyes. “I-I didn’t…” Iruka's face screwed up in regret. “I don’t think my katon jutsu… I-I’m not sure?” Self-blame, doubt, uncertainty. Kakashi knew those too well.

“How many?” 

“I-I don’t know, maybe… maybe one or two?” Iruka’s voice was raw from keeping his tears back. The genin’s hands shook when they clasp around his wrists.

“How many died?” Kakashi knew this line of questioning was relentless. The harder he pressed for answers the more Iruka shook and clutched at his arms. But he knew Iruka. He couldn’t bury his anguish. That would surely break him. It needed to come out, get acknowledged and dealt with. That wouldn’t happen as long as Iruka floundered like a beached whale. 

The genin trembled like a leaf in the wind. His arms crossed over his chest to hug himself tightly. Iruka was wound so tightly, Kakashi was amazed he hadn’t completely broken in half. “I don’t-”

“How many did you see?”

The guilt in Iruka's gaze deepened. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, then genin began to dig his nails into his arms. “Kashi, why-?”

“Inoichi taught you to catalogue bodies, didn’t he?”

“He did!!!” The scream exploded in a rush of sudden, furious anger. A volcano of abraded grief, rage, and remorse spilled from Iruka. A sealed scroll flew at Kakashi’s face. He caught it with ease. “I did!!” Tears streamed down Iruka’s cheeks as the flood gates opened wide. “There was so many,” he cried, voice cracking on a sob. The words spilled out in a rushed confession. “Teams and teams all broken and ripped apart and _ eaten. _ A weasel, as big as I am, hacked so many genin apart the floor looked like a bloody river. And this massive spider wrapped up the others while they were still alive for snacks later. We watched them suffocate while she told us _ how cute and well mannered we were. _ Me and Ko and Zumo wrote them all down in that scroll! Every single one in as much detail as we could remember.” 

Iruka's chest heaved between the sobs. There it was. The weight of the exams, The heavy burden Iruka was taking on as a shinobi. But, that wasn’t all. On no, It was the beginning of so much more to come. Their profession was just as hard on the mind and soul as the body. 

Kakashi found himself once more pondering the same question that lingered in the back of his mind for the last three years. 

_ How do I keep one stubborn genin alive? _

“You reported your findings.” It wasn’t a question with nothing to ask. As head of Konoha’s Intelligence Division, Inoichi Yamanaka lived and breathed proper conduct. He would pass those values onto his genin team. And Iruka wasn’t the kind to leave a fallen shinobi unattended -be they comrade or enemy. He valued life and therefore he respected the dead. 

“Of course we did!” Iruka’s temper flared momentarily before petering out into bone-deep weariness. “...The proctors made a copy. Motoi-san promised he and Yugito-san would retrieve the remains personally.” Sniffling, the genin scrubbed tears from his cheeks. 

Kakashi watched him carefully. Iruka was taking, crying, grieving. The next few moments were paramount and the ANBU was very aware what he said could bring Iruka around or plunge his deeper into distress. “You passed.” 

“I should’ve done more.” 

“What did you expect Izumo and Kotetsu to do?"

"Nothing!"

"And yourself?” 

Iruka clenched his fists in frustration. “I should’ve helped the other teams!”

Anger licked at his insides. Kakashi pushed it down. Curse Iruka had his big damned bleeding heart! It would get him killed. “Do you honestly think they would do the same if the situation was reversed?”

Iruka visibly flinched. “..No, I don’t.” A pause and a few more tears slipped down his cheeks. “It’s such a waste of life for no reason. Just like… Just like _ that _ night was, when the Kyuubi…” The genin trailed off, jaw ticking as he clenched his teeth. An airy snuffle heaved his shoulders and chest. “Once again, I couldn’t do anything.”

That wasn’t true. Stroking his fingers across the genin’s cheek, Kakashi slid his good hand back to cup Iruka’s nape. “You saved me that night, Iruka.” He continued to do so. Over and over again Iruka gave Kakashi a reason to keep fighting, to keep coming home.

Iruka covered Kakashi’s hand with his own and squeezed tightly. “I want to get stronger so I can support and protect the people I love.” His thumb rubbed over the scarred skin where Kakashi’s missing fingers used to be. When Iruka met the ANBU’s eye again, the grief had given way to stubborn determination. “I’ve decided that’s my nindo, my ninja way.” 

“I’m proud of you.” Kakashi pressed their foreheads together, hitai-ate clinking lightly. Tension eased from his shoulders he hadn’t realized he was carrying. “Keep fighting, I’ll be right here waiting for you when it’s over.” 

“I will, Kashi, I promise I’ll keep doing my best.” Closing the last bit of distance behind them, Iruka threw his arms around the ANBU in a tight hug. “You’ve got to keep coming home to me too, okay?”

Kakashi smoothed a hand down his back. “I will for as long as I'm able.” It was too hard to ignore how natural it felt to have Iruka in his arms. Just like when Obito and Rin used to squish him between them. He hadn’t known what to do with their loving, genuine affection. So he pushed them away, fought and argued to keep them both at arms’ length. 

Then time ran out. 

Obito and Rin were gone, but Iruka was right here in his arms, alive and so, so warm. “I was saving this for later, but I think you could use a _ pick-me-up _ now.” Settling back on his knees, Kakashi fished a small velvet bag from his breast pocket. 

“You got me a present?” Iruka’s eyes rounded in surprise. “But why? It’s not my birthday.” 

“Mah,” Shrugging, Kakashi placed the little bag in Iruka's hands and closed his fingers around it. The tingling in his cheeks made the ANBU very grateful for his facial mask. “No reason in particular.” 

The genin flushed so quickly and completely the blush flew right up to his hitai-ate and down into the shuriken scarf Kakashi gave him. Iruka still wore it more than two years later. “Can I open it?”

“Presents are made to be opened.”

“Okay!” With careful fingers, Iruka undid the ties and gently dumped the bag’s contents into his palm. “Oh Kakashi…!” Delightful astonishment lit up the genin’s face and brightened his eyes. The dolphin necklace Iruka spent so long admiring in Bamboo Village pooled in his hand. “This is what you went back for? You almost missed the boat!”

“Ah well,” Kakashi sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “You really liked it, so leaving it behind seemed like a waste.” 

“W-Will you put it on me?” Dangling the necklace from his fingers, Iruka held it out to Kakashi. 

“Turn around.” Their fingers brushed as he took the necklace. Kakashi’s heart did a quick double-thumb he pointedly ignored. Why was he getting nervous? This was just Iruka. 

Settling onto his knees with his back to Kakashi, Iruka tugged the shuriken scarf off and lifted his ponytail out of the way. Kakashi slid the silver chain around the genin’s neck, clasping it with a flick of his wrist. Grinning over his shoulder, Iruka shifted just enough for Kakashi to see the three dolphins resting just between his collarbones. The necklace was just long enough to comfortably tuck beneath his shirt. “What do you think?” 

Kakashi brushed his fingers over a silver tail. The blue gemstones accentuated the genin’s eyes beautifully. “It suits you.” 

Iruka rubbed the dolphins gently then laced his fingers with the ANBU’s. “Thank you, Kashi.” Shifting closer, the genin kissed Kakashi’s cheek just above his mask. “I’ll treasure it always.” 

Kakashi slowly worked the elastic from Iruka’s hair, letting the thick brown strands twist around his fingers as he gently massaged the genin’s scalp. Iruka groaned softly, all but melting into the touch. Kakashi eased his hitai-ate off and pressed cloth-covered lips to Iruka’s forehead. “Go shower, I’ll cook you some supper.”

Iruka’s mouth opened and closed several times before relenting with a sigh. The genin tucked his head beneath Kakashi’s chin, snuggling into his chest. “...Can we stay like this for a little while longer?”

Kakashi’s arms tightened around his most precious person until they were all but clinging to each other. “Just a few more minutes. You need to eat and sleep to replenish your chakra for the second part of the exam tomorrow.” 

Iruka trembled ever so slightly in his arms. “...Okay Kashi,” he acquiesced. A heavy sigh slouched the genin’s shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re here.” 

Kakashi rested his chin atop Iruka's head. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”


	7. Genin on Board

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chunin Exam's second trial gets off to a shell-shocking start.

A total of fifteen genin teams arrived at the designated rendezvous point early the next morning. With the first trial still weighing heavily on their minds, Team Inoichi and Team Kakoi bid farewell to their jounin senseis and joined the crowd of genin gathered around the proctors. Iruka recognized Samui and the massive jounin with a perchance for rapping. He was introduced as Killer Bee and the third proctor as Kiyoi. 

“Is this everyone?” Rocking forward on the balls of his feet to better take in the small crowd, Kiyoi let out a low whistle. “Damn, Yugito let more through than she planned. What happened to a guaranteed fifteen percent pass rate? This looks closer to twenty-five.” 

“Motoi reigned her in some.” Samui’s stoic expression sent a shiver down Iruka’s spine. He reached for his teammates’ hands on impulse. Yurika threw her arms around Santa and Natsu, hugging them both close. Natsu tucked her face into the other girl's shoulder.

“Fool, ya fool!” Killer Bee jabbed Kiyoi none too gently in the ribs. “Yugito Nii’s a badass, she’d never let the unworthy pass~”

“Yugito wouldn’t, but Motoi always had a bleeding heart for the rookies.” Kiyoi clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. An uneasy murmur had settled over the gathered genin. “Come on you lot. We’ve got some travelling to do so stay close and don’t lag behind.” 

The genin were brought to a man-made river twining through the northernmost side of Kumogakure -closest to the market district. Three longships floated in the water, anchored and ready for boarding. "Hope you genin don't mind squishing," Kiyou grinned.

Five genin teams and a proctor fit snugly on each boaT. Iruka, Kotetsu and Izumo squashed close to Yurika, Natsu and Santa on Samui’s longboat. With a burst of chakra from each proctor, the sails filled and the ships eased from the dock at a brisk pace. 

A mixture of surprised and excited cries rang out from the foreign passengers. The startling speed broke them from the river’s mouth and into the greater sea in a matter of minutes. Wind billowed through Iruka’s clothes, pulling strands of hair from his ponytail. His shuriken scarf flipped up. Santa’s long hair smacked Yurika in the face. Natsu grabbed Kotetsu’s arm to brace herself. Izumo had to spit his bangs out and hold onto his hitai-ate bandana to keep it from flying off his head. 

Holding onto the stempost, Samui stood braced by the longboat’s bow. “Listen carefully, I'll explain this portion of the exams only once.” Cropped blonde hair whipped about her face in a frenzy. “You have forty-eight hours upon landfall to retrieve a scroll from Genbu’s opposite shore and make it back to the longboats. Present your scroll to a proctor to gain a seat. Only six genin will be permitted aboard each boat. Once time runs out, we will depart regardless of being at capacity or not. Each genin must present a scroll. You aren’t required to pass as a team. Use your own discretion.” 

Silence followed the explanation to varying degrees of surprise, dread and enthusiasm. The Konoha genin exchanged looks, disbelief written on each pale face. Iruka shuffled closer to Izumo and Kotetsu. No way would any of them turn against their teammates or allies. The very thought was laughably preposterous. 

“Excuse me, Samui-san,” Yurika’s hand shot up to get the proctor’s attention. “Isn’t Genbu like a huge, massive turtle? How does it have a shore?” 

“You’ll see.” Samui’s lips quirked at the edges in amusement. “He’s your arena for the second trial.” She inclined her head to the south. “Be ready to go. Your time starts as soon as we hit the shore.”

Water rippled in the distance, parting in crescendoing waves as a colossal _ island _ surfaced into clear view. The waves bobbed the longships in crescents along the surface. Spike-like trees towered towards the sky, giving the moving mass a deceptively deadly appearance. Displaced water rolled back into the sea. A massive head poked from the surface. A chorus of gasps resonated from the genin. _That_ was the turtle?! It had an island on its back.

Slack-jawed, Iruka stared utterly raptured at the towering behemoth. He’d never seen anything like Genbu before. Amazing!! The turtle (if it could be called that) was easily the size of a small village. As the boats drew closer, he could see white sands trailing into the strange trees. Still glistening damp, massive centipede-like creatures twisted around the spiky trees. Was this all growing on the turtle’s shell? 

A cold shudder ran down Iruka’s spine. On impulse, he pulled Izumo and Kotetsu closer. His teammates were just as gob-smacked as he was. Kumogakure’s fascinating wonders never cease to amaze. What marvels could other corners of the world possess? One day he'd see them all.

The closer the longships got to shore, the tenser things became on board. Iruka shifted, slowly building chakra up in the bottom of his feet. The slightest chakra ripples to his left indicated his teammates did the same. They needed to be ready for the chaos ahead.

The boats struck the sand and the genin took off. 

Iruka hit the beach running. Izumo and Kotetsu flanked him, senbon and kodachi at the ready. Fights broke out along the beach, brutal and unforgiving. It was a slaughter! They were sitting ducks exposed so openly. Getting to the trees was their best option. They needed cover. Thankfully, his teammates seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Iruka lost track of Team Kakoi in the upheaval. 

Blood splattered across the sand. Several genin hit the ground, unmoving in the pandemonium. The proctors watched from the longships, unphased by the carnage. Half turning quickly, Kotetsu blocked a shuriken shower with his sword. The clang of metal on metal jumped Iruka’s heart straight into his throat. Those were aimed for subclavian arteries -strikes meant to kill. 

“Fuck this!” Izumo pulled two smoke bombs from his holster and slammed them into the sand. Thick, purple smog billowed around them in a dense cloud. Several angry curses rang through the haze. Suppressing their chakra as low as they could, Team Inoichi ducked low and headed for the forest. 

Hunkering down at the base of a larger tree, the genin used the trunk to cover their backs. Hands shifted into tiger seals. A slight trickle of chakra ripped around them and coated their bodies as they blended into their surroundings. Sweat broke out along Iruka’s brow. Izumo sighed shakily to his left. 

The chakra control needed to successfully complete a chameleon jutsu was almost at a tokubetsu jounin level. Inoichi-sensei worked with them tirelessly for months to help them perfect it. Even now, the length each of them could maintain the jutsu varied with Izumo clocking in around ninety seconds, Iruka almost two minutes and Kotetsu a whopping three. As a type of genjutsu, Kotetsu with his yin affinity found the concealing ability easier than his teammates. 

A familiar tapping sounded in Iruka’s ear. _ Stealth optimal option. _

The suggestion most likely came from Izumo. He’d proven himself the most tactical teammate. Given enough time, Iruka could come up with a solid plan of his own, but Izumo was better at quickly figuring out problems and thinking on his feet under pressure. 

Without knowing how much ground they needed to cover to reach Genbu’s opposite shore, reserving energy and chakra was most likely their best option. Explosions shook the ground in the distance. The fighting already spilled into the forest. If they didn’t want to get caught up in a pointless battle, stealth was definitely the way to go. 

_ Dolphin in agreement. _

_ Steele as well. _

Izumo flickered back into view as he hit his chameleon jutsu's limit. Inhaling deeply, Iruka slowly cut off his chakra trickle to the jutsu and let it drop. Kotetsu appeared to the left of his teammates a few seconds later. Crouching low, the oldest genin held up two fingers, then motioned for his teammates to follow him. Izumo and Kotetsu fell into Formation Two -single file, Kotetsu in the front, followed by Iruka and Izumo bringing up the rear.

With Kotetsu having practice Iaido techniques his late mother taught him to perfection, Genma enlisted the help of his best friend Raidou Namiashi to further train Kotetsu in swordsmanship. The extra tutelage sharpened his reflexes to pinpoint accuracy. If they were attacked, he’d be able to counterattack the fastest. 

Time seemed to drag with each tentative step. Massive fireball jutsus heated the already humid air to the team’s right. Several still-damp trees caught on fire, the flames causing smoke to undulate into the air. Kotetsu diverted their course fifteen degrees northwest, hoping to avoid whatever genin team kept spamming katon jutsus like they were going out of style. Battles reached farther inland than Iruka assumed they would.

The other teams were keeping pace while fighting amongst themselves. Holy cow.

When the ground beneath their feet began to shift (most likely a wide-scale doton jutsu) Izumo motioned for them to take to the trees. Coating a healthy amount of chakra to the bottom of their feet, the genin swiftly scaled the strangely smooth trees. Leaping between timbers used much more concentration than normal. Iruka studied the trunks between jumps. Was the smoothness from being submerged in water so often? Under different circumstances, he’d love the opportunity to puzzle it out. Shikaku and Genma-senpai probably would too. 

“Iruka, Kotetsu, get back!” Izumo jumped in front of them, hands flying through a series of seals: dragon, tiger, hare. “Suiton: Wild Water Wave!” A massive water torrent shot from his mouth, colliding with a large flame bullet headed right for them. Steam billowed around them, thick and humid. 

_ Northeast, _Iruka tapped into his earring comms. He heard Izumo call out another suiton jutsu, covering their tracks as they retreated deeper into the forest. By the time they finally slowed, Iruka’s heart pounded in his ears. He inhaled slowly to calm his laboured breathing. Once more, he sent out a silent thanks to Gai-san for all the endurance training-

Grabbing his arm, Kotetsu motioned silently towards the sky. What the heck? Iruka glanced up and froze. Are those _ giant bees?! _Was that a kunoichi riding one like a horse? If he hadn’t already seen massive spiders, frogs and snakes, Iruka would’ve thought his team caught in a genjutsu. No, those were summons. A rival genin had a summoning contract with literal killer bees. 

Stealth was definitely the right call. 

The trio continued through the treetops, moving as quickly and quietly as they could. The fighting echoed farther behind them with each mile covered. Whichever teams decided to duke it out were preoccupying each other. All the better for them. Keeping at a brisk but cautious pace, Izumo, Kotetsu and Iruka continued on until the sun began to set. 

Breathing heavily, Izumo pulled his friends to a stop. Iruka settled onto the tree branch next to the older two genin. “What is it?” He used the opportunity to take a quick drink from his water bottle. They hadn’t stopped running since leaving the longboats. 

“I think we should consider stopping for a break.” Izumo leaned back against the trunk behind them. “We’re starting to lag. Being too tired to fight could get us killed.” 

“Is stopping really safe?” Kotetsu countered, though he’d dropped into a squat with his arms resting atop his legs. “Even posting a lookout, something could sneak up on us or overpower our guard."

Iruka bit his bottom lip. Both teammates made good points. This forest held a plethora of hazards not strictly of the opposing village variety. But they weren’t used to going this long without rest either. Iruka could feel the fatigue pulling at his limbs. “What if I scout out the area? There might be somewhere concealed we can take a little break.”

Kotetsu brightened at the suggestion, but Izumo’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Be careful and don’t go too far. Use the comms to keep in contact.” 

The genin’s heart swelled. Ever since their first C-rank went awry, they’d been quite protective of each other. “I’ll be extremely careful.” Hugging them both quickly, Iruka drew a kunai from his holster. “Don’t worry.” He dropped off the branch, using a bit of chakra to cushion his fall. 

The area was dense with thick, slick foliage and those peculiar spike-like trees. Keeping close to the ground, Iruka scouted out a few dozen feet from where his teammates waited. After a bit of searching, he stumbled across a hollowed-out alcove in the base of a larger tree. Snapping one of the glowsticks, Iruka’s crouched down to check inside. The root structure was solid, though the space crowded. It worked well enough for a quick pit stop. 

Iruka’s hand lifted to his ear, ready to signal his teammates to join him. A nagging caution stopped his finger just over the earring. He hadn’t checked for traps. Kakashi always lectured the importance of shinobi paranoia and thinking three steps ahead of potential threats. He was the scout and he almost forgot to check for traps! That could get his teammates killed! No amount of exhaustion would excuse such negligence. 

Cursing his own lack of foresight and feeling very much the fool, Iruka knelt and did a quick sweep of the alcove. His hand swept over the ground. _ Holy cow! _ The genin mentally cursed. The dirt was loose, like it had recently been dug up. Leaping back, Iruka stuck his earring comm with two quick taps. _ Enemy. _

With a flick of the wrist, the kunai he’d been hanging onto dug deep into the ground. The force of impact completely caved the dirty inside the alcove. Damn it! Iruka almost led his team right into a pitfall. His mind went a million directions at once. Was the enemy still here or did they just lay traps to slow the other teams down? Were there more around? Were any deadly?

No time to ponder answerless questions. Kotetsu was a close-combat fighter and he jumped before thinking.

His team needed cover. 

Iruka’s hand moved through seals without a second thought: ox, snake, ram. “Hiding in Mist Jutsu.” Chakra churned in his stomach, prickling along his throat as he exhaled the mist. With no source of water to draw upon, he had to make the moisture he needed with his own chakra supply. The dense fog spread out around him, covering the area enough to blind any potential opponents. 

Now to locate any enemy shinobi.

Dropping to a crouch, Iruka closed his eyes and redirected some chakra towards his ears. The forest was alarmingly silent. No animals, nothing, until- _There!_ A twig snapped ten yards to his left. A silhouette rippled behind his eyelids and sharpened to a shadowed figure. Not his teammates. He’d trained himself to pick up their heart rates and chakra signatures. They hovered several feet above his mist, still concealed in the trees.

No, this was a foreign genin. Appearing as just a split second echo, but there. 

Drawing three kunai from his holster, Iruka let them fly through the mist. Two hollow thuds and a pained cry wrang out. “Kayui!!” Another genin called several paces to Iruka’s right. Their positions lit up as sound images behind his eyes. The first genin, Kayui, hunched back against a tree, the second headed his way. 

Iruka pulled shuriken out next, four in each hand, took aim and threw. Metal on metal clanged around him, sparking new images behind his eyes. His shuriken were blocked, but Kotetsu had made his move. The second genin parried Kotetsu’s kodachi with two kunai.

Where was the third one? Iruka pushed more chakra into his ears. Pain split through his head. He couldn’t see anyone else. Surely the third teammate hadn’t abandoned his friends-?

The lightest _ twang _ rippled a dulled image behind Iruka’s mind. He barely had time to duck before a massive log came swinging at him. It _wooshed_ over Iruka, missing him by inches. The mist jutsu and his echolocation broke. “Kotetsu!!” He screamed, but it was too late. 

His friend knocked the kunai from a purple-haired genin's hands just as the log struck him from behind -right between the shoulder blades. Kotetsu cried out. The force sent him flying into a tree. The trunk cratered on impact. Kotetsu’s kodachi clattered to the grass. He slumped in an unmoving heap at the tree’s roots, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

A blood-curdling scream resonated from the trees above. All blood rushed from Iruka’s face. “Izumo, no,” he whispered in pure dread. The grass beneath him, the shrubs and flora were all turning brown. 

Water shot into the air, convalescing into a massive, swirling typhoon above their heads. Kayui and his teammate froze, mouths open in startled awe. Izumo dropped to a lower branch, hands raised over his head and dark eyes wild with unbridled fury. 

Oh no.

Oh no, no.

This was so bad!

Iruka had to get to Kotetsu!! Scrambling to his feet, Iruka’s grabbed two explosion tags from his holster. He charged the enemy genin. There was no time for flashy moves or layered attacks. He was almost on top of their opponents (close enough to make out Kumogakure hitai-ates) before they broke from their stupor enough to react. Diving beneath a kunai swipe, Iruka slapped the tags to the Kumo genins’ legs and tucked into a roll. 

Iruka landed hard on his knees, fingers already curling into a snake hand seal. Pain erupted from the back of his shoulder a split second before the tags detonated. Agonized cries echoed behind him but Iruka didn’t wait to see if his opponents went down. Adrenaline shot up his spine like a spike. Grabbing Kotetsu under the arms, he pushed as much chakra into his feet as he could and bound into the trees. 

“Kayui! Yurui!!” The third Kumo genin screamed.

Iruka skidded to a halt over fifty yards away, Kotetsu clutched protectively to his chest. He dared to look back. Every plant within a twenty-foot radius of Izumo was dead, the very water pulled from the once-living, green bodies. A _whoosh_ of moist updraft was the only forewarning Iruka received before Izumo unleashed his attack with a cry: “Suiton: Wild Vortex Jutsu!!!” 

The twisting water funnel surged forward with such alarming speed, it ripped every tree in its path out by the roots. All three Kumo genin got caught in the overpowered deluge. The blast drove straight into the forest floor, hollowing out the ground. Iruka knew all Izumo’s pain, his anger and love for Kotetsu was put into that jutsu. 

Such terrifyingly beautiful dedication.

Iruka would do the same thing if it was Kakashi in Kotetsu’s place. 

The water washed over the deadened ground, unearthing three startlingly still bodies. Iruka’s heart plummeted straight into his stomach. From this distance, he couldn’t tell if they were dead or alive. That jutsu was an A-rank monstrosity Inoichi-sensei taught Izumo for emergencies only. It used a massive amount of chakra. The fact Izumo still stood after using it was a miracle. His chakra reserves must be precariously low. 

Covering his face with his hands, Izumo dropped to his knees. Helplessness weld up inside Iruka and twisted quickly into guilt. Killing was part of being a shinobi, but it didn’t make taking another life any easier. The throbbing in his shoulder grew worse. Reaching back, Iruka pulled a kunai from his skin. Fresh blood trickled hot and sticky down his back. Shit. There wasn’t time for this! He had to make sure both his teammates were okay. 

Lowering Kotetsu gently onto a wide branch, Iruka quickly tied some bandages around his arm. With his own wound haphazardly dealt with, he set about checking the older genin from head to toe. Just like Inoichi-sensei taught him to do, he pressed on arms and legs, ran his hands over each inch of Kotetsu’s body to make sure nothing was broken. He paid extra attention to his friend’s head and torso as that’s what took the brunt of the blow. 

Kotetsu’s shoulder was dislocated, his back already swelling and covered in thick, dark bruises. Scrapes akin to rug burn covered the left side of his face and down his neck. Large splinters scattered across his arms and chest, protruding through his gi in bloody splotches. Damn it! As long as Kotetsu was unconscious, there was no way to check for a concussion. 

“Is he okay?” Izumo landed beside him, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks damn from crying. He trembled as he knelt and ran a shaking hand through Kotetsu’s hair. 

“We need to pop his shoulder back into place before he wakes up.” Iruka grabbed the Kotetsu’s arm by the wrist and elbow. “Hold him steady.” Izumo braced Kotetsu’s torso as Iruka shifted his arm to a forty-five-degree angle and flexed the elbow. "Sorry Ko, this is going to hurt." Slowly rotating Kotetsu’s arm away from his body until he felt resistance, Iruka pushed the upper arm towards the shoulder socket roughly. 

Kotetsu screamed. His eyes opened wide and fixated unseeing at the forest’s canopy and what bits of sky peeked through. His face contorted in agony, back buckling beneath Izumo’s hold before dropping back to the branch. 

“Ko!” Izumo cupped his best friend’s face in both hands, tears dripping from his chin. “Ko, can you hear me?” 

The glassy look to Kotetsu’s eyes worried Iruka. He didn’t respond to Izumo’s voice. He blinked once, twice, then his eyes started to roll back into his head. “Zumo, the ginkgo leaves, quick!” 

Izumo pulled the green, heart-shaped leaves from his medical pouch, crushed them between his fingers and shoved them under Kotetsu’s tongue. A tense moment passed before Kotetsu shuddered and coughed up some bloody vial. “Urg- ack! It hurts…!!”

Iruka sighed in relief. “Oh thank goodness.” 

Crying out elatedly, Izumo leaned over Kotetsu enough to press their foreheads together. Their hitai-ate clinked. “You’re awake! Oh, Ko.” Izumo sobbed, his tears dripping onto Kotetsu’s face. 

Wincing, Kotetsu managed to raise a hand to Izumo’s face. “What happened?” 

“You took a swinging log to the back,” Iruka explained. He set about removing the splinters and applying bandages to the puncture wounds. Kotetsu just began the process of learning medical ninjutsu, but he and Izumo didn’t have much of a knack for it. First aid was the best he could do for Kotetsu. Hopefully, it would be enough to get his friend through the second trial. Shifting closer, Iruka checked Kotetsu’s eyes. They seemed focused and alert, good. “Are you dizzy or nauseous?” 

Kotetsu started to shake his head but stopped with a flinch. “N-No, just a headache.” 

“Any ringing in your ears?”

“No.” 

Iruka released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. His shoulders relaxed a bit. Kotetsu responded to questions and besides the headache seemed to have no other signs of possible head trauma. “That’s good. I don’t think there’s a concussion. You’re really lucky, Ko.” 

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Kotetsu struggled into a sitting position with a little help from Izumo. “My back’s killing me. What happened to the genin we were fighting?”

Izumo’s head dipped, dark eyes fixed on his lap. Iruka shifted close enough for their thighs to press together. “Izumo took care of them.” Reaching for Izumo’s hand, he laced their fingers together. “You used most of your chakra on the vortex jutsu though, didn’t you?”

“WHAT?!” Kotetsu exploded. He grabbed Izumo’s upper arm. “That’s supposed t’be nothing but a last resort! Inoichi-sensei told you that when he taught you the jutsu, didn’t he? What the heck were you thinking, Zumo?” 

Izumo’s face flushed red, though if from embarrassment or shame, Iruka couldn’t tell. Fresh tears trickled down his cheeks. “I-I thought you were dead,” he almost whimpered, quickly covering his mouth to muffle the unshinobi-like sound. “Y-You just crumpled like a rag doll and didn’t move. That genin was getting ready to launch another log at Ruka a-and I just…” 

Iruka tipped his shaking teammate in a hug. "And you protected us." He hadn’t seen the second log. If Izumo hadn’t acted when he did, they both could have been killed.

White-faced, Kotetsu stared at Izumo. His mouth opened, then closed in soundless realization. Finally, he murmured, “don’t cry Zumo.” 

That only made Izumo cry harder. Blinking back his own tears, Iruka held his friend tighter. Hitching a breath, Izumo sobbed, “I-I can’t lose you, either of you. Gen, our team, it’s all I’ve got left. Please, _ please _don’t leave me. I love you both so much-” 

"Idiot!" Kotetsu grip tightened on Izumo's arm. “We aren’t going anywhere, right Ruka?” Squeezing his eyes shut did little to hold back his tears. Kotetsu was an ugly crier. His nose ran, his face blotched red and his cheeks puffed. 

Iruka nodded frantically. “We’re a team and we’ll stay a team as long as we’re shinobi. That way we can always watch each others’ backs. You’re my best friends!”

“That sounds like a great plan, Ru.” Laughing wetly, Izumo wiped Kotetsu’s face with his sleeve. The sound radiated broken exhaustion that went far beyond purely physical. “We need to move. That battle caused a lot of commotion. We’re sitting ducks here.” 

Untangling himself from his teammates, Iruka offered them both a hand. “Can you stand?” Izumo’s chakra was low and Kotetsu was hurt pretty bad. His teammates just exchanged a grin and let Iruka hoist them to their feet. 

Whether it was luck or just karma giving them a break, the rest of their trek across Genbu passed by uneventfully. With Izumo’s chakra low and Kotetsu and Iruka's injuries, the genin opted to stick to the ground. The sun long since set by the time three towers came into view over the treetops. Running on pure adrenaline and completely exhausted, the boys cautiously ventured closer. 

Situated on the sandy shoreline, a large temple greeted them just beyond the forest. Rows of headless, praying statues lined the walkway up to the entrance. Massive double doors accentuated with gold swung open before them. Izumo jumped back, hands held out in front of Kotetsu and Izumo protectively. 

“Welcome to the Tailed Beast Temple.” Dodai, the head proctor, stepped forward with his hands raised to show he wasn’t a threat. “Congratulations on making it to the checkpoint. Please come inside.” Stepping to the side, Dodai motioned for them to enter. 

Hackles raised, Iruka exchanged looks with his teammates. With a shrug, Kotetsu grabbed their wrists and pulled them both inside. Protective wards rippled around them. Abrasive, ancient chakra brushed over Iruka in a way that left his skin feeling raw. Dodai waited patiently as they adjusted to the combative chakra. 

“The aura within the temple takes a bit of getting used to I’m afraid. It’s to discourage combat outside the appropriate training chambers.” Reaching into his messenger bag, the one-eyed proctor withdrew three scrolls and held them out to the genin. “Your reward for completing the first half of the trial.” 

The scrolls were nothing more than average paper scrolls with a wax seal holding them closed. No complex seals, no hidden wards. Iruka turned his scroll over in his hand. This was what they needed to regain access to the longships? Such an essential part of passing the second trial and they were so _normal. _After their frantic race through the woods, it was kind of anticlimactic. 

The three genin bowed to the proctor respectfully. “Thank you, Dodai-san.” 

Dodai’s mouth quirked at the edges. “There is an optional six hours of rest permitted inside the temple. During that allotted time, other exam participants are prohibited from engaging you in battle. Do you wish to utilize the option?” 

Iruka blinked, a little caught off guard by the unexpected offer. “May we have a moment to discuss the options?” 

“You may, though you aren’t required to accept as a team." 

Kotetsu crossed his arms over his chest. “We’re a team. We’ll decide this as a team.”

Dodai chuckled softly. “Very well.” 

The genin huddled a few feet away, silently discussing their options. All three were compromised, exhausted and either hurt or low on chakra. A chance to safely rest, properly bandage their wounds and get something to eat greatly increased their chances of making it back to the longships. The problem was resting ate up precious time. Six hours of travel would take them approximately half way through the forest. 

They didn’t know what the other teams would do. The trial’s limits, both on the number of genin reaccepted onto the ships and the time they had to complete the cross-turtle journey, added an extra sense of urgency. Would stopping mean no seats were available if they made it to the longships? How many teams would get ahead of them? 

One look at his teammates made up Iruka’s mind. “We can’t fight like this.” 

With a sigh, Izumo nodded in agreement. “We wouldn’t survive another fight. If the battles we snuck by were any indication, the other genin are powerful. We’re guaranteed a safe opportunity to rest in the temple though. I think we should take the offer.”

“I don’t like it. We’re in this predicament cause I got hurt.” Kotetsu puffed out his cheeks. “But you guys are right. Let’s take the rest time.” 

Dodai just smiled when they told him their answer and took them to an empty room. As soon as the door shut behind them, Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu collapsed onto the floor. They stayed there for what felt like hours, half stretched atop each other like a litter of puppies. 

Safe.

Scrolls obtained.

Half the journey over. 

Relief washed over them.

Izumo dragged himself from the pile first. Reluctantly, Iruka and Kotetsu followed suit. Medical packs were opened, wounds disinfected and securely bound. The genin forced down ration bars and drain their waterskins. Izumo and Iruka bit into soldier pills, the medical charge of synthetic chakra bolstering their systems. 

Fed and as patched up as they could get, Izumo, Iruka and Kotetsu huddled together and let exhaustion drag them into blissful slumber. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long chapter to write. Holy cow. I hope my action sequences are getting better, there's still a lot to come during this arc.
> 
> As voted for by my lovely readers, the next side-story will be about Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu's mothers. I've got it all planned out. I'll post chapter one in the next week or two, so be on the lookout for "Hindsight". :)
> 
> Thank you all to everyone who reads this very self-indulgent story. I greatly appreciate every kudos and comment. You guys are awesome. <3


	8. Pulled Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's good to have trustworthy allies during trying times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a blast writing this part of the chunin exam's second trial. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. You're all amazing and I'm truly blessed to have such fantastic readers. Thank you all.

Iruka’s lungs heaved with exertion. The mid-afternoon sun beat down hotly on his back, though he wasn’t sure if it was the heat or running that made his clothes cling damply to his skin. A rustle to his left. Iruka pulled a kunai. A well-timed flick of the wrist buried the weapon handle deep in the throat of a massive lizard. The terrifying abomination dropped from the treetops with a garbled sound.

“Iruka duck!” 

He did so on instinct, barely missing Kotetsu’s dual scimitar whizzing over his head. The curved blades gouged chunks out of two more lizards. Kotetsu sent them flying between the trees with a few well-placed kicks. 

How many of these things were there?!

A slight glint flickered in Iruka's periphery. Three more lizards dropped. Iruka barely caught a glimpse of senbon lodged in nerve points as the reptiles toppled unseen to the forest below. “Keep running!” Izumo sprang off a branch to their left, more senbon held poised to throw between his fingers. He’d taken to coating them with a paralysis poison Genma showed him how to make. 

“We’re right behind ya!!” Kotetsu and Iruka took off after their friend in a rush. 

Judging from the sun’s position, they’d left the temple over three hours ago. The lizard hoard attacked a little over an hour into their treck back across Genbu. After nearly a half-hour of extended battle, it became clear there were too many lizards for them to beat outright. Every time they took down one, three more appeared. 

Instead of exhausting themselves, and depleting their already dwindled chakra, the genin made a tactical retreat. 

Even with Iruka covering their tracks with traps and explosive tags, the damn lizards kept coming. It was all they could do to stay ahead of the sheer overwhelming numbers. The lizards kept trying to flank their sides, cutting off any escape routed in the process. 

Four popped out of the trees slightly ahead and to the left. Leaping in front of Kotetsu and Izumo, Iruka’s hands flew through the seals for a fire style jutsu. “Katon: Fire Spray Jutsu!” Inhaling deeply, he let his chakra bleed to oil in his mouth. Igniting the oil on an exhale, he shot the flames right in the lizards’ faces. They fell away, leaving smoking, scorched trees behind. 

“We can’t keep this up!” Kotetsu yelled. Twisting to the side, he stabbed a five-foot-tall gecko in the eye with his scimitar. “They just keep coming! It’s endless.” 

“I know! I’m thinking!!” Izumo’s voice raised sharply. Damn it! They were screwed if their tactician panicked. He stumbled back when a lizard sprung from above. Iruka ducked under Izumo’s arm, stabbing it through the jaw with a kunai. 

“What about that new jutsu Gen’s been helping you with?” Kotetsu sliced one of the smaller salamanders in half. 

“It’s not finished, I’m still trying to work all the kinks out!” Izumo cursed loudly and pressed a hand to his mouth -a small habit he did when thinking. “I need an open field or something. We have to lure them in.” 

“I’m on it, cover me, guys.” Pushing chakra into his feet, Iruka threw shuriken at two advancing newts. He leapt over their heads, breaking into a sharp upward sprint as soon as his feet hit the trunk. Chakra cushioned the genin’s feet as he balanced precariously in the treetops. He’d done something similar to this during training with Gai and Kakashi before.

Thank goodness those two kept up their  _ eternal  _ rivalry. 

“It looks like we’re about halfway back across the island,” he noted offhandedly. Spiked trees stretched on for miles in every direction. Off in the distance, he could just make out Genbu’s massive head dipping and sway from side-to-side. This turtle was amazing! Iruka never thought something like it existed in their world. 

Scanning the surrounding area quickly, Iruka’s eyes settled on a flattened, smouldering clearing amongst the trees. Upturned earth left the ground muddy, the trees singed black at the clearing’s edges. A battle transpired there, though thinning smoke showed combat ended some time ago. Hopefully, it served Izumo’s needs well enough. 

_ Northwest,  _ Iruka tapped into his earring comm. 

Kotetsu decapitated another lizard as he scrambled into the treetops to Iruka’s left. Izumo followed closely behind, flicking senbon after senbon into the reptiles’ pressure points and soft flesh. Iruka joined the fray with carefully aimed shuriken. His kunai reserves were getting alarmingly low. 

As soon as an opening presented itself, the trio made a mad dash for the muddy clearing. Izumo used chakra to keep from sinking into the thick mud. Iruka and Kotetsu turned at the treeline, keep the lizards at bay while Izumo worked. Two strike taps in their ear comms were all the warning they had to get out of the way. 

Grabbing Iruka’s shoulder, Kotetsu all but dragging him into jumping. They landed hard behind Izumo. Kneeling, their teammate held his hands in a tiger seal. Thick, viscous water oozed from his mouth, pooling along the mud in a large pool. 

The lizards gathered at the treeline, neck frills erect and poised to attack. A low, hissing sound slowly emanated from the growing hoard, extending outward in a furious crescendo. Iruka’s heart jumped into his throat. Kotetsu’s hold stopped him from retreating as the lizards lunged-

-and stuck like glue in Izumo’s jutsu. 

“Wha-?” Iruka’s mouth fell open, working uselessly as he tried to process the strange sight before him. A closer look showed the water’s consistency more akin to syrup, though it kept the appearance of normal water. 

_ Brilliant!  _

Clasping his hands together, Izumo pressed his palms quickly to the group. The syrupy water quivered, tendrils shooting out to wrap around the lizards’ limbs like tentacles. The thick substance oozed over scaley hides, coating the reptiles as they hissed and struggled vainly to pry themselves free. 

“I-I don’t know how long I can hold them.” Izumo’s hands shook from the effort of maintaining his jutsu. “You’ve got to kill them all quick-” 

A kunai flashed in the corner of Iruka's sight. Kotetsu blocked it with his kodachi inches from their friend’s nose. 

Iruka reached for his shuriken, poised to fight. Something snagged his ankle and yanked down. The world tilted in a sharp rush around him. His startled yelped got cut off as he was pulled underground. Iruka vaguely heard his teammates screaming his name as the earth closed around him.

A sharp sting pierced Iruka’s calf. Jerking his foot up almost on impulse, Iruka stomped down hard. His sandal connected with- was that a face? A muffled yelp resonated from directly beneath him. Gritting his teeth against the pain quickly spreading through his ankle, Iruka drove both heels into his attacker’s face. 

A series of curses and a sickening  _ crunch  _ met the genin’s ears. Finally, the hold on his ankle loosened enough for Iruka to jerk his foot away. He landed two more strikes before his attacker fell back. The earth around him began to loosen.  _ A jutsu!  _ Someone used a doton jutsu to drag him underground. With a bit of wiggling, he pried himself loose enough to drop into the cavern below. 

Numb, unnatural tingles spread through his foot when he landed on the surprisingly solid bedrock. Was this part of Genbu's shell? Iruka blinked several times, silently willing his eyes to adjust. It was dark, too much so to see his own hand a few inches from his face. Not having a better option, Iruka pushed a bit of his quickly dwindling chakra-reserves towards his ears. Not quite enough for Echolocation, but still enough to better pinpoint any sound _-ah there!_

A slight rustle to his left. 

Iruka pulled one of his three remaining kunai from his holster and let it fly. The clang of metal against metal made it clear his weapon was deflected. 

“What the fuck? I thought the only Byakugan user this year was that sniffling girl!” 

The numb tingling began to spread up his leg. Iruka gritted his teeth. Poison! At this rate, his entire leg would be numb in a matter of minutes. Would it spread to his entire body? He had no way of knowing if this was a paralysis poison like the one Izumo used, meant to immobilize opponents without killing, or something more lethal. He wasn’t in a hurry to find out. 

“Don’t give me that tone! She was the only Konoha nin with those creepy-ass eyes.” 

“It doesn’t matter. We just have to wait out the poison, then we can take his scroll.” 

Anger boiled up inside the genin. They were blatantly talking about him like their victory was a guaranteed thing! No damn way were they getting their grubby hands on his scroll! Not after everything his teammates and he went through to get it. That scroll was his ticket to the finals. He wasn't about to let it go.

Iruka’s mind ran a mile a minute, trying to come up with the best and quickest way to get himself out of this predicament alive. He was at least fifteen feet underground and the poison was spreading. If he didn’t act fast, he wouldn’t be able to move. Breathing deeply, Iruka willed himself to calm. One step at a time.

Okay, the first thing to do was take out the enemy before they caused more damage. 

With increased chakra-flow thrumming through his head and ear canals, Iruka focused on his opponents. They’d fallen into relative silence once their bickering subsided. The delicately fine shift of feet in loose earth hit his ears. After over two years of practice, the genin was finally getting his Echolocation down pat. The vibrations formed into shadowy images behind his eyelids. Just little flashes of silhouettes. 

There seemed to be only two genin. If the third teammate lingered close by, he couldn’t tell. They two hovered close together, one forming hand seals-

Eyes widening, Iruka lunged to the side. Something strikingly hot shot across his back, sizzling through his shirt in sharp tendrils. The genin bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming. A metallic, copper taste filled his mouth. Lightning! That was a raiton jutsu! He’d trained with Kakashi enough to know that bright shock anywhere. 

The smell of singed meat wrinkled his nose. His back throbbed with pain, the muscles twitching from the lingering electrical current. It hurt! Damn it hurt so much. No wonder Kakashi refused to use Lightning Cutter against him during spars. One wrong step would kill him. 

Hitting the soft earth, Iruka pulled his remaining five kunai from his holster and flicked them into the darkness. A series of metal-on-metal clangs rang back to him. Three kunai got deflected by some kind of sword, but the other two he’d deliberately thrown high. The first kunai bounced off the second, abruptly changing its directory. He knew it hit home when a cry of pain echoed through the alcove. 

“Tenga!” 

This was it, his one chance to finish the fight quickly. No time to hesitate. Iruka’s hands flew through seals that’d become second nature to him: tiger, ox, tiger, rat. “Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu!” The familiar chakra churned in his stomach a split second before shooting from his mouth in a powerful jet. A dull thump indicated he hit his target dead on. The second genin was out cold. 

“You bastard!” The first genin screamed furiously.

Tingles ran up and down Iruka’s skin. The numbness completely took over his leg and was now spreading through his hip and lower stomach. The poison was spreading faster than he anticipated.

Another lightning jutsu shot directly at his face. Iruka rolled awkwardly to the side. His back hit the cavern’s wall. With a furious cry, the other genin threw himself at Iruka, kunai in hand. He barely got his arm guard up in time to block the weapon. Moving with the force of his attacker’s weight, Iruka ducked under his arm and grabbed the back of his jacket. He stepped forward, pulling out and down with all his might. The genin flipped over Iruka’s shoulder and slammed into the dirt face-first. 

Two, precise strikes to his opponent’s neck (just like Kakashi’s showed him) knocked the genin out cold. 

The numbness was spreading down Iruka’s second leg by the time he fumbled a glow stick from his medical pack. Cracking it, a dim glow brightened a few feet around him. Iruka dropped to the dirt, his numb legs unable to properly support his weight. Iruka already used his generic antidote during the first trial so his only option was to try figuring out what poison the other genin used on him. Cursing silently, he crawled over to the unconscious genin and flipped him over. 

A quick scan showed this was definitely the one who poisoned him. The boy, a year or two older than Iruka, had heel shape bruises forming on his face and an obviously broken nose. The Kumogakure hitai-ate tied snugly around his forehead did little to protect his face from Iruka’s kicks. 

Silently thanking Gai and Kakashi for the extra taijutsu training, Iruka quickly stripped the Kumo genin of his weapons and supplies. Dumping them on the ground, he found a standard array of kunai and shuriken, as well as a set of nunchaku. As far as Iruka could tell, none of the weapons were poisoned. Trepidation churned in his stomach. Inhaling deeply, Iruka pushed it down. Panicking would do him no good. 

Finding nothing of help in his supplies pouch, Iruka began the arduous task of patting the foreign genin down He searched through clothes for hidden compartments. Ibiki taught his team to always check shinobi sandals, hems and collars first. Iruka found a switchblade in the boy’s sandal and a tightly wrapped bundle half sewn into the hem of his jacket. The stitching was already loose as if the genin had used whatever it contained. 

Using a shuriken’s tip, Iruka cut the tiny bundle open. Two vials and a self-injecting needle tumbled out. One vial was already empty, the second contained a translucent, indigo liquid. Iruka shook the vial, testing the substance’s viscosity. It was thicker than water. He sniffed the needle tip. No smell. Touching the tip to his tongue, the genin’s face scrunched up. Bitter, almost acrid in taste. Most likely not animal-based or manmade then. 

So, Iruka was looking at most-likely a plant-based poison that caused numbness, had a bitter taste but no smell and could be blue in colour. That… didn’t narrow down the possibilities as much as he’d like. Genma-senpai taught him the basics of poison recognition, but nothing as in-depth as Izumo. He didn’t fight with poisons like his friend and senpai. “Come on, Iruka, think!” He held the vial up to his glow stick. “This is a Kumo genin. We’re in Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. It’s a mountainous area with limited vegetation. What kind of poisons could-”

_ Oh! _

Mountains. They were in the mountains! Genma only spoke of one easily accessible, plant-based poison from mountain areas like this. Aconitum.  _ Wolf’s bane!  _ The colour, odorlessness and taste fit. As did the numbness, though he wasn’t suffering from any heart palpitations yet.

No, this wasn’t the time time to second-guess himself. Both legs were completely numb now. Iruka quickly tugged a supply scroll from his weapon’s holster. The words  _ Medical Supplies  _ were scrawled across the scroll in Kakashi’s familiar chicken scratch. Unrolling the scroll, Iruka released the seal with a bit of chakra. Several vials, a round needle holder, medical-grade thread and disinfectant appeared atop the scroll. Picking through the vials, Iruka selected one containing a thick, black substance. 

_“Charcoal and atropine are your best bet to counteract wolf’s bane.”_ Genma had explained to him, Izumo and Kotetsu several months back. “_You’ve got to take it within the hour or it won’t do you any good though. Aconitum poisoning is a nasty way to kick the bucket.”_

Pulling the cork with his teeth, Iruka chugged back the dark antidote. It left a chalky aftertaste on his tongue. That was better than having poison consume and kill him. The next few minutes were spent in anxious silence. Sweat clung to his skin, dampening his shirt through his mesh armour. The numbness didn’t fade, but it didn’t spread any farther either. Iruka let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t feel anything below his waist, but it appeared he guessed right. 

“I’ll work with what I have.” 

Holding up his glow stick, Iruka got his first good look at the cavern he was pulled into. No exit was visible. Massive roots hung from the earthen ceiling and protruded from the walls. Was he under the spikey trees? How’d he gotten so far from the clearing? Leaning heavily against the cavern wall, Iruka hoisted himself unsteadily to his feet. His numb legs almost buckled beneath his own weight.

He had to find a way out of here before his either his opponents woke up or they ran out of air. Problem was, Iruka didn't know any doton jutsu. He had no ability with earth release. Even the simplest techniques Kakashi tried to teach him resulted in failure. Iruka lacked the chakra nature versatility his precious person so easily used. 

Never was that more frustrating than right now-

The earth suddenly gave away above him. Moist dirt dropped to the alcove floor, half covering the unconscious Kumo genin. “Iruka!” Izumo’s voice carried from above.

Squinting, the genin glanced up at bright sunlight trickling through a quickly-widening hole. His friends! They found him! “I’m down here!!” 

“Hey, Ru!” Kotetsu’s spikey hair blocked out some light as he peered down the hole. “Natsu was spot on! Byakugans are so awesome!” Wait, Natsu? Had his teammates met up with the other Konoha team while he was down here?

“Hey, Iruka-san! Is the hole big enough for you to climb out?” That was Santa Yamanaka. Relief washed over Iruka. After losing track of the other team on the beach, he hadn’t known what happened to them. It was good to know Santa, Yurika and Natsu were safe.

“I got hit with poison. I can’t feel my legs!” 

Things went quiet up above. A tense moment passed before Kotetsu dropped down into the alcove with him. “Dang, you were busy down here, Ruka.” Letting out a low whistle, Kotetsu knelt down in front of his teammate. “C’mon, let’s get the heck out of here.” 

Biting the inside of his cheek, Iruka hesitated. “What about your back? You’re still injured from that tree trap. Carrying me will hurt you worse.” 

“Izumo’s too low on chakra to carry you so don’t worry about it.” Kotetsu shrugged, face barely visible in the glow stick’s dim light. “Allies or not, I don’t want the others to see how worn out we are. Santa and Yurika are creepy smart under all that bluster and Natsu’s eerily perceptive, like beyond the byakugan.” 

He supposed that was only natural, considering the nature of their sensei’s profession. Leading Konoha’s Barrier Team kept Kakoi mostly village-bound. His skills were more intellectual than physical. It reflected in his team much like Inoichi-sensei's skills with problem-solving, teamwork and chakra-control did on Kotetsu, Izumo and Iruka.

“Okay, if you’re sure.” Shifting awkwardly, Iruka dropped onto Kotetsu’s back, The older genin grunted through clenched teeth in pain. “Sorry, Ko.” Iruka wrapped his arms around his friend’s shoulders. “I can’t really use my legs.” 

“No problem, I got this.” Getting a firm hold on Iruka’s legs, Kotetsu took a running leap at the cavern wall. Chakra built up in his feet, keeping them from slipping back into the alcove below. Four hard jumps brought them back to the surface. Fresh air wafted over Iruka’s face, chilling sweat across his skin. 

“Iruka! Thank goodness you’re okay.” Izumo’s pale face relaxed slightly, his shoulders slumping with relief. Iruka’s stomach twisted with guilt. He hated making his teammates worry about him. 

“Hey! Welcome back, Iruka-kun!” Yurika thumped him on the back before turning her attention back to Izumo. Hands glowing green with healing chakra, she confidently knit together a deep slash across Izumo’s bicep. 

Mouth gaping, Iruka looked around the clearing. Lizard bodies, giant fuma-shuriken and six unconscious genin lay scattered about the mucky ground. “What happened?!” 

“Ambush,” Santa grunted from his vantage point at their backs. “Those Kiri genin tried to steal our scrolls.” 

“Don’t worry, Iruka-kun. Everyone is okay.” Natsu reassured him with a gentle smile. The slight turn of her head showed her byakugan was activated. She turned back to the trees, seemingly scanning for any farther treats. 

_ “We _ saved your butts.” Yurika shot Iruka a thumbs up and slapped a field bandage on Izumo’s arm. “There, that’ll hold you until we get back to Kito-nii-san.” 

Iruka couldn’t stop himself from grinning like a fool. “So you guys have scrolls too?” 

“Of course, the Will of Fire burns bright on our team.” Santa almost puffed up with pride. He and his teammates flashed their scrolls. “Have you found us a clear path back to shore, Natsu?” 

“Yes, but we have to hurry.” She pointed south-east. “The sun is starting to set. We’re running out of time. If my calculations are correct, the longships will leave in less than an hour.” 

“We better get ready to move then.” Kotetsu bounced Iruka up higher on his back. 

Izumo pulled chakra wire from his supply poach. “Have to make sure Iruka doesn’t fall off if you have to fight, Ko.” He twined the wire around Iruka’s waist and under his legs, looping the sharp cable around Kotetsu’s waist and over his shoulders. It bit through their top layer of clothes, but a bit of chakra kept it from piercing their skin. 

“Lemme take a quick look at those legs.” Yurika yanked Iruka’s pant leg up without waiting for a response. She grimaced and really, Iruka couldn’t blame her. His skin had tinted a weird shade of purple from the poison. “Yeah, this one’s on Kito-nii-san when we get back. That looks like aconitum. I’m not a skilled enough medic to remove it. Sorry, Iruka-kun.” 

“Thank you anyway, Yurika-san.” Iruka tightened his arms around Kotetsu’s shoulders. Izumo handed him a kunai to fight with if the need arose. Knowing this island, it was better safe than sorry. 

With final adjustments made, the six Konoha genin took to the trees. Natsu led the way, followed close behind by Kotetsu carrying Iruka and Yurika. As long-ranged fighters, Santa and Izumo brought up the rear with their weapons of choice at the ready. 

Natsu took them on a winding path through upturned trees and smouldering battlefields. Nimble on her feet, the Hyuuga moved with a grace Iruka would’ve admired at a less urgent time. Try as he might, Kotetsu couldn't hide his pained, laboured breathing for long. Sweat broke out along his friend’s brow. After fifteen minutes of steady running, Kotetsu began to falter. 

Iruka squeezed his eyes shut, guilt and frustration churning in his stomach. This was all his fault. He got caught in that trap, poisoned, useless to help his comrades. After everything they’d done to get this far. They were so close to finishing the second trial! Now, he was just slowing them down and causing Kotetsu more pain. It wasn’t right! He couldn’t drag his friends down with him like this. “Kotetsu put me down.” He grabbed his friend’s shoulders, ready to throw himself off the older genin’s back if he had to. “You’re not going to make it like this.” 

Kotetsu just jostled him up on his back farther. “No way, Ruka. I’m not leaving you behind.” 

Damn it! This wasn’t the time for Kotetsu to be so stubborn! “There’s no reason for us both to fail. We’re so close-”

“Shut up!” Izumo pressed to his right side, taking some of Iruka’s weight onto his shoulder. “We’re a team, we do this together or not at all.”

“We’re Konoha shinobi!” Yurika fell back to Iruka and Kotetsu’s left, bracing him as Izumo had done. “Comrades come first so just hold on tight, Iruka-kun. We’re going to finish this trial together. Let’s show the other nations how strong Konoha is!” 

A chorus of excited whoops and cheers rang from the other genin. Santa closed the gap between them, bow and arrow drawn to keep their backs covered. Iruka hid his face in Kotetsu’s spikey hair so the others wouldn’t see the tears spilling down his cheeks. They should leave him behind. It was their best chance for success, the most logical thing to do. He could try the exam another time-

But they weren’t. 

In their minds, had it even been an option? 

“We’re almost there!” Natsu called back airily. She sounded exhausted but kept going regardless. All they could do was keep running. 

The sun dipped behind the trees, casting dark shadows over the genin. Iruka’s heart pounded in his ears. All he could do was put his faith in his friends. Gosh, he hated feeling so helpless!  _ Please make it, please make it, please make it, please make it!!!  _

They burst through the treeline and hit the beach in a frantic run. Izumo caught Kotetsu’s arm when he lost his footing and almost toppled them both face-first into the sand and-

The longships were already several feet from shore, weighed down with ten other genin. 

-Iruka cursed loudly. Oh no! No, no no! They couldn’t have missed the boats by that little. It was all his fault. Not only his team but Kakoi’s as well. They missed the longships by helping him. 

He failed them all. 

The proctors shared a few quick glances. He could see Kiyoi shrug a shoulder. “Sure, whatever. It’ll make things more interesting in the finals.”

“Awe yeaaah!” Killer Bee suddenly threw his arms in the air, almost capsizing his longboat in the process. “You put it all on the line and made it just in time~”

For a moment, none of the Konoha genin moved. “Wait,” Kotetsu finally broke the silence.

“Does that mean…?” Natsu hesitated to ask.

“Holy shit guys, the proctors are letting us on!” Yurika broke into a run, chakra building in her feet as she hit the water. “Come on, come on before they change their minds!!”

They didn’t need to be told twice. The genin scrambled down the beach, water splashing beneath their feet as they all piled into Samui’s empty boat. They presented their scrolls to the kunoichi, sagging in relief as she accepted each with a curt nod. It took a bit of work to untangle Iruka from Kotetsu’s back, but with so many hands, they managed to do so without rocking the boat too much. 

Samui watched them work, her lips quirking into a brief smile. “Just like Konoha to be late to the party. Congratulations, you all pass the second trial.”

With varying sighs and groans, all six genin slouched into an exhausted, relieved heap.


	9. What Comes Next

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inoichi and Kakoi layout their teams' training regimen in preparation for the last leg of the Chunin Exams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologizes for the delay in this chapter. I've been struggling with motivation for this story lately. Regardless, I hope all my lovely readers enjoy.

A low hiss slid through Iruka’s clenched teeth. A full-body shudder rolled down his tense frame. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he turned his head away from the precise, medical laceration Kito made in his upper thigh. Iruka didn’t need to see their medic removing the poison from his legs. Just the thought made his stomach churn. 

Thankfully, the numbness in his extremities stopped him from feeling the procedure. Instead, he buried his face in Kakashi’s shoulder. Having his most precious person with him again eased some of the anxiety. His team made it through the second trial. They, and Team Kakoi, were heading to the one-on-one fights of the finals.

Iruka insisted Kito-san and Inoichi-sensei take care of the other genin’s injuries first. Kotetsu moved stiffly, despite his best efforts to hide it. Iruka worried carrying him across Genbu like that did additional damage to his friend’s back. By the time Inoichi-sensei finished healing Kotetsu, the bruising was thankfully faint. 

(Izumo fussed over Kotetsu when he thought no one was looking. It was kind of cute.) 

With everyone patched up, the genin finally crashed. Exhausted in every way possible, Iruka crawled under the covers and was half asleep before Kotetsu and Izumo settled on either side of him. As much as he wanted to curl up with Kakashi and never let the older teen go, Iruka knew he couldn’t do that. It was the middle of the day. Kakashi had his own duties to carry out for Konoha. Besides, right now his teammates needed him more.

Neither Izumo or Kotetsu said anything, but the lingering effects of their ordeal on Genbu’s back were visible in the way their hands quivered and clenched, the unfocused glaze that swept over dark eyes every so often, and the calm way they responded to questions. Maybe they were disassociating. Maybe it was just the fatigue that seemed to seep into their very souls. Whatever the reason, Iruka wasn’t particularly sure. 

A small voice in the back of his head kept pointing out, _ you’re reacting the same way as your teammates. Everyone’s going to think you’ve all lost it. _

But none of the other shinobi said anything. No one judged or called them on their odd behaviour. Maybe this was normal for shinobi in some instances. Iruka would think about it more later. The pillow was too soft and his teammates safe and far too warm cuddled so comfortably against him for him to care about anything else for the time being. 

This _ -yes this- _ was heaven. 

* * *

A curt knock to the bedroom door woke Iruka. “Up and at ‘em Gremlins,” Genma called through the wood. “There’s a meeting in ten.” 

Groaning, the genin rolled onto his stomach. His head felt heavy and full -like someone stuffed it full of cotton. _ Everything _ ached from head to toe. “Up, we’re gettin’ up,” Iruka croaked and swallowed to rid his mouth of dryness. Had something furry died on his tongue? He felt horrible. 

Izumo and Kotetsu let out mumbled protests on either side of him. 

“Go ‘way, Gen,” Kotetsu whined into his pillow.

The door creaked and bed shifted as Genma settled by their feet. “I know your chakra’s still low and you probably feel like crap, but you’ve got to get up.” His senbon bobbed between his teeth. “Come get some food and give your muscles a stretch. If you don’t, you’ll feel worse in the long run. Trust me on this.” 

Pushing down every urge to stay hunkered between his teammates in bed, Iruka slowly sat up. “...How long have we been asleep?” 

“Sixteen hours.” 

“WHAT?!” Izumo sprang up like he’d been burned. Throwing back the covers, he scrambled from the bed for his travel pack. “Why didn’t you wake us sooner? When’s the third trial start?” 

Kotetsu scrubbed some sleep from his eyes. “Calm down, Zumo. You don’t think Gen would let us sleep through the rest of the chunin exams, do you?”

“Uh no, just that’s a long time…” 

Reaching out, Genma ruffled Izumo and Kotetsu’s hair affectionately. “That’s what the meeting’s for. Just make yourself presentable and join us in the lounge okay?” The tokubetsu jounin waited for them all to nod before he took his leave. 

They dressed in relative silence, opting for simple black muscle shirts and knickers that cropped just below the knee. Iruka's were a heavy cargo material of navy blue while his teammates were of matching forest green. Kotetsu let Izumo examine his back as Iruka tugged his shinobi sandals on. Weapon poaches were secured to legs and belts. Iruka on tugged the dolphin necklace Kakashi gave him. The silver pendant rested against his chest on full display for everyone to see. 

The escort team and Team Kakoi were already squished onto the plush sofas when Iruka, Izumo, and Kotetsu emerged from their bedroom. The other genin dressed down as well. Natsu and Yurika looked lovely in pink sundresses that surprisingly matched Santa’s trainers. With his long hair braided in a plait and black shirt hanging loose from one shoulder, Santa looked as comely as his kunoichi teammates. An image of Inoichi-sensei wrapped in a violet yukata on their first C-rank flashed through Iruka’s head. 

Were all Yamanaka males this androgynously pretty? 

Mulling over that strange line of thought, Iruka squeezed into an open space on Kakashi’s left. The ANBU’s hand brushed gently over his knee. Iruka leaned into the older teen’s side, taking silent comfort from being close to him again. Izumo and Kotetsu bullied Tenzou over so they could sit by Genma. 

With everyone gathered, Inoichi-sensei cleared his throat. “Good morning, I hope you’ve all gotten some much deserved rest.” His gaze shifted to the genin in the room. “Congratulations to both my team and Kakoi’s for passing the chunin exam’s second trial. We’re both very proud of your hard work and dedication.” 

“That said,” Ensui cut in front his spot balancing on a sofa’s arm. “It’s time to get down to business, wouldn’t you agree, Inoichi?” 

“Indeed, Ensui-kun.” Their jounin sensei’s lips curved into a humorous smile. “The final phase of the chunin exams, as I’m sure you’ve come to expect, will be a one-on-one bracket tournament. It’s set to begin in one month’s time.” 

“So we have a month to train?” Izumo asked.

“And heal,” Yurika poked Kotetsu’s back to emphasize the point and, got an irritated, pained hiss from the older genin in return.

“Exactly,” Kakoi confirmed. Leaning forward, the barrier specialist spread a scroll out on the coffee table. “Inoichi and I have decided to pool our resources to give our genin the best advantage possible in the battles to come. We’ve spent the last few hours working with Ensui-san to develop a training regimen for the six of you.”

Iruka leaned in to get a better look at the scroll. It housed time tables for each genin, complete with instructors and lists of what skills they’d each be working to improve. Excitement bubbled up inside him. The plan looked thorough and detailed. Inoichi, Kakoi and Ensui definitely put a lot of thought into this. “We’re going to be training with our guard detail?” 

“Yup, you’re stuck with us, Kid.” Genma grinned around his senbon. 

“Keeping tabs on you all will be more efficient this way,” Ensui explained with a shrug. “It adds to our cover as assistant teachers and familial support. Killing two birds with one stone is my kind of efficient planning.” 

“That does make sense,” Santa crossed his legs at the ankles, leaning back into Yurika’s arm thrown over his shoulders. “It’s lucky we get to take advantage of your tutelage.” 

“Yes, thank you all so much,” Natsu bowed her head to the more experienced shinobi in respect. 

“Yeah, we’ll work our butts off for you guys,” Kotetsu grinned and saluted playfully. 

Iruka smiled. This was going to be a lot of hard work, but definitely fun. If he applied himself, there was potential for a lot of growth. The stronger he got, the better he could protect all his precious people. He could prove himself a capable shinobi so no one second-guessed Yoshino-sensei and Shikaku-san’s decision to adopt him. “We’ll do you and Konoha proud,” he declared determinedly. 

Kakashi’s hand squeezed lightly on his knee before falling away. Iruka knew enough of the older teen’s mannerisms to know that was a sign of silent support. The ANBU wasn’t affectionate by nature, but he promised to try for Iruka and he was sticking to his word. The genin loved him all the more for it. Maybe someday Kakashi would be ready to hear those words without panicking. For now, this was enough. 

“Very well,” Inoichi motioned everyone closer with a flick of his fingers. “There isn’t enough time to effectively teach anything majorly new. So, we’re going to focus on honing the individual skills you already possess.” 

“You’ll be paired one-on-one with a tokujo or jounin for three hours blocks. We’ll do three of these blocks a day with hour long breaks for lunch and diner in between,” Kakoi took over the explanation, smoothly pointing out the blocks on the chart for visuals as he spoke. “That gives our escorts adequate time to do anything else Hokage-sama requires of them.” 

No other details were given in the vague explanation, but the carefully veiled implications hung over the group. It was a stark reminder of how high tensions between Kumogakure and Konoha currently ran. Of course, Kakashi’s team had other directives than just to guard two genin teams. A whole ANBU squad wasn’t needed for that, especially with two jounin as capable as Kakoi and Inoichi-sensei already accompanying them. 

As much as his natural curiosity longed to know, Iruka knew better than to ask. 

“Make sure to pay attention. We’re going to go over the areas you’ll each focus on and who’ll be instructing you,” Kakoi scooped the scroll off the coffee table. “Natsu, Kakashi-san will help you hone your taijutsu skills in the morning, Ensui-san will show you how to tighten your chakra control in the afternoons and Tenzou-san will assist with endurance training in the evenings. This is the area you lack the most, make sure to pay careful attention to Tenzou-san’s instructions.” 

“Yes sensei! Thank you for your assistance with my training.” Natsu bowed her head to Kakashi, Ensui and Tenzou in turn. 

Tenzou may not seem like the first choice for endurance training, but he joined Kakashi, Iruka and Gai most mornings for their early practices. He earned the title of ANBU for more than just his mokuton, after all. He was patient, calm and smart, definitely a good instructor choice for someone with Natsu’s more gentle personality. Iruka thought Tenzou would make a great jounin sensei someday. 

“Now Santa,” Kakoi continued. “Genma-san is going to give you a crash course on some general poisons and show you how to apply them to your arrowheads in the mornings. In the afternoons Kito-san will help with your archery and Inoichi has agreed to show you a few Yamanaka clan techniques in the evenings.” 

Sitting up ramrod straight, Santa’s entire face flushed with delight. “R-Really, Inoichi-sama?!” Iruka could almost see him vibrating with excitement from across the table. “Th-thank you so much, Sir! It's such an honour to learn from our clan head. I promise I won’t let you down-”

Inoichi-sensei held his hands up with a chuckle. “Take a deep breath Santa, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m sure you’ll do well.” 

“Yes, Sir, I will!!” The Yamanaka genin had stars in his eyes. 

Kakoi cleared his throat to refocus the group. “Yurika, you’ll be with your brother to hone your medical skills in the mornings. In the afternoons you’ll join me for fuuinjutsu lessons and the evenings will be spent with Genma-san on bukijutsu, understood?” 

“Got it sensei!” She grinned so widely her cheeks dimpled. “This is gonna be so much fun! Finally someone to help with my fuma-shuriken! Nii-san gets so freaked out when I practice with them but, I mean, come on! They’re our clan’s signature.” 

“I’ve had to heal one too many puncture wounds not to worry, Imouto,” Kito pointed out with a put-upon sigh. 

“Hey, I’ve got to practice if I want to get better and I can heal my own cuts now cause my awesome big brother taught me how to.” Yurika cuddled into Kito and hugged his arm. “Besides, one of us has to learn the family techniques so we can teach Tenten-chan.” 

The medic’s jaw clenched. “Please don’t teach our baby sister how to handle fuma-shuriken until she starts at the Academy.” 

Yurika puffed out her cheeks. “Aww, but she’s already so good with normal shuriken, Nii-san!” 

Kito’s face completely drained of colour. “Yurika-” 

“Kidding, I’m only kidding~ I won’t. Promise.” 

Iruka chuckled behind his hand. Yurika and her big brother seemed to have a wonderful relationship. He couldn’t help but wonder if he and Shikamaru would have a similar bond as his adoptive brother grew up. Would Iruka get to teach skills to Shikamaru like Kito did Yurika? The little guy was such a lazy, easy-going toddler it was hard to picture him as a shinobi. As heir to the Nara Clan, Shikamaru would definitely be a member of Ino-Shika-Cho's next generation. Regardless, Iruka would be there for his little brother in whatever way he was needed.

Inoichi caught the scroll when Kakoi tossed it to him, his blue eyes flitting over the list. “As for my team, Kotetsu, you’ll be with Ensui for genjutsu training in the morning, Kakashi for kenjutsu in the afternoon and Kito in the evening for medical ninjutsu training.”

“But Inoichi-sensei, I’m a front line fighter,” Kotetsu protested with a whine. “I can’t be a medic, it brakes the second clause that governs medical-nin: _ No medic-nin shall ever stand on the front lines. _I’m a better fighter than-” 

“I’m not asking you to become a medical-nin, Kotetsu. I’m not a medic and I can heal,” Inoichi pointed out firmly. “You’ve completed the last two trials without anyone on your genin team being able to heal. Both times you returned badly injured. First aid only goes so far. Having the skill to heal could mean the difference between life and death for Iruka or Izumo. Your yin chakra makes you a better choice. You’re going to learn more.” The tone of his voice left little room for arguments. 

Visibly pale, Kotetsu sank back into the couch cushions. “Yes, Sir.” 

Without missing a beat, Inoichi moved farther down the chart. “Izumo, you’ll be training your water release with me in the mornings, then you’re with Genma in the afternoons for bukijutsu training and Kakoi in the evenings to practice battle tactics.” 

“Okay Sensei,” Izumo nodded determinedly. Of their team members, Izumo had the sharpest mind. While Inoichi-sensei trained all three of them in problem solving and situational assessment, Izumo was the best at coming up with strategies and plans of attack on the fly. 

Iruka nodded in approval. _Training_ _ _ I_zumo in battle tactics would be best for our team. If we make chunin, we’ll start taking higher-ranked missions outside the Land of Fire . _

“And lastly, Iruka.” The Yamanaka clan head looked up at his youngest student. “Considering your skill range, it was a little harder to pick things for you to focus on. You’ve become a jack of all trades, so to speak. Still, I thought concentrating on the following would benefit you the most for the upcoming tournament. In the mornings, you’ll study fuuinjutsu with Kakoi-san. The afternoons will be spent with me. We’ll work on your water release, and Kakashi will instruct you with fire release in the evening.”

His eyes widened in delight. Iruka couldn’t stop the excitement that bubbled up inside him. “Fuuinjutsu? I get to study barriers and seals with Kakoi-san?” He’d hoped for the chance to pick the older man’s brain a bit but this was so much better!! Kakoi was a barrier specialist. Outside of the legendary Jiraiya-sama, no one else in the Konoha had more knowledge on fuuinjutsu now that the Yondaime and his wife were gone.

Iruka did his best to research and practice on his own, but there was only so much one could garner from old texts. Kakashi helped where he could. He learned from his sensei before his death, but that was over three years ago now. Kakashi never had a major interest in fuuinjutsu and time wore away at older memories the sharingan couldn’t recall. 

The genin wanted to learn, both because it was fascinating work and to carry on his mother’s legacy. Keeping small pieces of his mother and father alive would always be important to Iruka, even if he now had two loving, very supportive adoptive parents. 

Kakoi’s stern expression softened slightly. “Having an eager student will be a refreshing change.”

Iruka’s face flushed softly. “Thank you, Kakoi-san.” 

Without really thinking about it, the genin reached for Kakashi’s hand. Nerves buzzed with eagerness just beneath Iruka’s skin. This was his chance to really learn and grow. Iruka would apply himself as best he could in the following month. Being promoted to chunin during his first exams was a long shot. He knew that very well, but he’d fight as hard as he could regardless of the odds. 

He had precious people to protect after all. 


	10. Kotetsu vs Ran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santa and Kotetsu fight their first matches in the one-on-one bracket tournament.

The crowd’s applause was so thunderous, Iruka could feel it resonating in his chest. It pounded like a beat, vibrating through his entire body. Reaching back for his friends after almost three years as a team was almost instinctive now. Izumo and Kotetsu squeezed his hands, each stepping up to flank him on the right and left. Even with the tournament potentially pitting them against each other, they still presented a united front.

They were a team before anything else. 

Thousands upon thousands of civilians and shinobi alike crowded into the stands. Iruka’s hold tightened on his teammates. Swallowing hard, the genin tried to push his rising nerves down. So many people. He’d never seen this many gathered in one place before and they were all here to watch the chunin exam finalists compete.

How surreal all six Konohagakure genin were included in that list. They made up a good third of those competing. Iruka forced an anxious smile when Yurika shot his team a double thumbs up from the other end of the line-up. 

When the time came, they were paraded out single-file to the spectators' excited fanfare. 

Iruka’s eyes widened as they stepped into the arena. The entire landscape was altered. A pond took up the Southernmost corner, sprawling into fine sand to the West and grassy plains to the East. A treeline ran just below a jumbo screen and the Kages’ viewing box. Such a set-up could make or break a fight depending upon how it was used.

Now, all sixteen participants stood before Dodai as he explained the specifics of the upcoming matches. “I'll be the proctor your one-on-one fights. Time is limited to a half an hour. I will step in as I see fit, besides that, anything goes. Your first-round matches have already been randomly generated and placed in these brackets.”

Stepping forward when directed, Samui presented an unrolled scroll for the participants to read. A larger image of the same list displayed on the jumbo screen high above for the spectators to see. Iruka skimmed the names, looking firstly for his own and then his teammates’. Kotetsu was set to fight in the second match, Izumo in the fourth and Iruka in the sixth. 

Exhaling slowly, Iruka’s shoulders slumped. Good, they wouldn’t be facing each other for a few rounds. _ If _ they managed to make it that far of course and that was a pretty big if. Some of those heavy hitters -the ones that caused all the jutsu damage on Genbu’s back- were definitely in the finals. Iruka just didn’t know who they were. 

After the last month of intense training, he was as ready as he could be Though the thought held little comfort. They couldn’t help each other here. Every genin for themselves. Genma said it was their time to shine. 

Iruka would much rather succeed with Izumo and Kotetsu. 

“Will Santa Yamanako of Konohagakure and Ameyuri Ringo of Kirigakure please step forward for the first match?” Dodai raised his hands as Santa and a petite kunoichi with dual swords on her back fell into position at either end of the arena. 

Samui closed the scroll she was holding. “The rest of you follow me.” Pushing some chakra into her feet, the blonde ran up the side of the arena to a railed-in viewing box set just below the Kages'. Iruka caught sight of the massive Raikage in full traditional regalia as he vaulted over the railing. Izumo, Kotetsu, Natsu and Yurika all crowded in around him, anxious to see how their fellow Konoha genin performed. 

The fight didn’t last a third of the allotted time. Dual-wielding her swords, Ameyuri charged right at Santa with blinding speed. Santa was forced to fall back on the defensive from the very start. As skilled at archery as he was, she hacked through every arrow he sent flying in her direction. For a few tense minutes, they were at a stalemate. Santa wisely took to the trees, nimbly evading each time she tried to close the distance between them. 

Yurika screamed and cheered for her teammate so loudly, the rest of the Konoha genin quickly got caught up in her passion. Iruka rocked on the balls of his feet, throwing his arms in the air when Santa skillfully ducked beneath a sword parry and danced away. Kotetsu and Izumo yelled encouragements to his left. Natsu wrung her hands, pale eyes wide as she followed the action below.

Ameyuri’s frustration became apparent at the five minute mark. Her dainty features contorted into an aggressive scowl. Iruka felt a shiver run down his spine when she bared literal fangs at Santa. Each tooth had been sharpened to a razored point, like a shark. 

That’s when her raiton affinity reared its ugly head. Channelling lightning directly into her blades, Ameyrui flung massive, electrical slashes across the arena at Santa. He managed to stay clear of the first three, but the fourth barely missed his back. His quiver slashed in half, the pieces clattering to the arena below. 

Santa backflipped out of the way of the fifth lightning strike. Twisting mid-air, he stuck himself to the wall several feet above the treeline. She wasn’t leaving him any openings to use the Yamanaka clan's techniques. He pulled a kunai to defend himself, but before he could react, Ameyuri came flying through the dust her attacks kicked up. Twisting her sword around at the last possible minute, she took Santa's kunai to the shoulder and delivered a spinning blow directly to his stomach with the back of her blades.

The force sent Santa flying into the adjacent wall. He dropped to the grass like a ragdoll, completely out cold. Iruka watched in stunned disbelief as Dodai called the match at the eight minute mark. 

Yurika, Natsu and Kakoi-san leapt into the arena, quickly gathering around the downed genin. Iruka worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Dread twisted his stomach into knots. _ This _ was the real chunin exam. The genin’s eyes fell on his pale-faced teammates.

Kotetsu was up next.

Did any of them stand a chance? 

* * *

Gravel gritted beneath his zori as Kotetsu shifted fluidly into a ready stance, kodachi in hand. Murmurs from the spectators above reverberated about the arena like the buzzing of angry bees. Biting the inside of his cheek, he shoved the rising bitterness down. He knew what most of them were probably thinking, the not so subtle judgements running through the minds of elite shinobi stuck in their ways.

The hidden villages had their own kenjutsu style. He’d learned the basics of the Hidden Leaf style from Raidou-senpai already. He wasn’t using Konoha’s sword style, however. 

It wasn’t even kenjutsu. 

Iaido was as much an art as a fighting style. Mother taught him the beauty of the blade, the significance it held to her homeland and culture. Now she and Mum were three years dead, crushed beneath the Kyuubi’s paw like insignificant ragdolls. 

He was their legacy. A product of two clashing value systems and lands.

Hi no Kuni and Tetsu no Kuni.

Shinobi and Samurai.

Fire and Iron. 

Kotetsu tried not to let the opinions of others get to him. He was loyal to Konoha and Hokage-sama, regardless of the techniques he used. But sometimes _-like right now-_ the quiet whispers got under his skin and pissed him off. Kotetsu was never the best at keeping his emotions in check, especially if he got angry. 

_ Those who care don’t matter. Those that matter don’t care. _

Genma used that saying a lot. He tried to take the words to heart. Gen was real smart. Not in a genius kind of way, but in an _ I seek knowledge _kind of way. The tokubetsu jounin knew how to find answers he couldn’t readily give. Kotetsu appreciated the genuine honesty that brought to their relationship.

In the end, Gen was right about that like most things. The people he loved the most -Izumo, Genma, Raidou-senpai, Iruka, Iwashi, Inoichi-sensei, even Ibiki-senpai- didn’t mind, even _ encouraged _him at times, to keep practicing his mother's Iaido. So Kotetsu did, even through the weird looks he got. Because he loved his mothers and he adored the unique legacy they left him. 

His opponent, a little Kumo kunoichi a few years his junior, visibly brightened at his ready stance. Clapping her hands together, she danced eagerly on the spot. “Oh, you use Iaido like Iron Country's samurai! How marvellous! I was hoping to face someone who could give me a real challenge!” 

Blinking, Kotetsu lowered his kodachi a fraction. Uh, well, that… that was completely unexpected. She was excited to fight him using Iaido. Huh. A grin broke out across his face. “Pretty big talk for such a tiny pipsqueak! You don’t really think you stand a chance against me, do you?” 

“My name’s Ran, not pipsqueak, and you better remember it.” Unfastening a clasp from her shoulder, she drew a bladed polearm from her back. 

Kotetsu grin widened. A ko-naginata. Mother favoured that weapon when he was little. There was no need to be ninja-sneaky with this kunoichi. He could tell she was a head-on kind of brawler like he was. A quick spin found her weapon expertly gripped in her small hands. This fight was going to be interesting. “I’m Kotetsu. You better bring it, Ran!” 

Dodai’s hand dropped and they both lunged.

He caught the subtle twist of her wrist out of the corner of his eye. Adjusting for the difference, Kotetsu lowered his swipe just as their weapons connected. The tip of her blade sliced a thin, neat line across his jugular. The connecting force thrummed vibrations through his pommel. Damn, she packed some oomph to her strike. If he hadn’t adjusted, Ran would’ve slit his throat with her first blow. 

Grinning, she sprang forward, slashing quickly at his stomach. Kotetsu jumped back, using his blade to block her strikes. Her ko-naginata had the upper hand on length. Kodachi were generally used for close-quarters combat. Getting into her personal space would be difficult with her weapon’s superior reach. 

Ducking beneath her next strike, Kotetsu parried the shaft with the back of his blade and pushed her away with a hard shove. He pulled three shuriken, flinging them with a flick of the wrist. Ran blocked the first two, but the third caught her in the shin. The little kunoichi cried out in pain. “Hey, that was a cheap shot!”

“I’m a shinobi. There’s no such thing as cheap shots if they get the job done!” Kotetsu clasped his hands together in a ram seal, quickly letting his chakra build towards his fingertips-

“Oh no you don’t!” Flipping her ko-naginata parallel to her body, Ran quickly spun it counterclockwise. “Two can play at that game!” The blade dug into the earth, flinging large, dry dirt clumps directly at Kotetsu’s face. 

Forced to abandon his hand seal sequence, Kotetsu blocked a few with the flat side of his kodachi, but the impact caused the clumps to burst into dusty debris. He coughed and dropped to get below her trajectory only for a dirtwad to hit him right in the eyes. Yelping, he scrubbed at his face with his keikogi sleeve, trying desperately to clear the gravel away.

_He couldn’t see!_

He was completely vulnerable, wide open for an attack-

A whoosh displaced air to his left. Kotetsu flung himself into a roll. Ran’s blade caught his shoulder, cutting through keikogi and skin alike. Warm blood already soaked his sleeve as he stumbled into a run. Tears gathered in his burning eyes. Even when Kotetsu forced them open, his vision was blurred. 

A senbon whizzed close to his face, cutting a thin laceration through his cheek. Damn it! He couldn’t keep running from her. She’d utterly destroy him like this. So, Kotetsu did what any Konoha born shinobi would do. One hand curved into an ox seal- 

Ran’s ko-naginata stabbed straight through his spine. 

-a yank of chakra, a poof, and his feet hit bark. A log clattered to the ground in his stead. Thank goodness Yoshino-sensei drilled the basics into them while he was still at the Academy. That substitution jutsu just saved his life. Yanking his waterskin from his med pouch, he dumped water over his face to clear his vision.

A frustrated cry from the kunoichi gave Kotetsu the courage he needed to peek around the tree trunk he used as cover. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Ran’s blade was buried almost to the ketsuryu in his substitution log. 

It gave him the _perfect_ opening. 

A quick tiger seal had him appearing before her in a puff of smoke. His hands flew through the snake and rat seals as his feet hit the substitution log on either side of her weapon. Her head snapped up and their eyes met. “Magen: Hell Viewing Jutsu.” 

The tug on his chakra was immediate confirmation his genjutsu took hold. Kotetsu had no damn clue what she saw, but Ran instantly froze. Her blue eyes widened, face paling in terror. She stumbled back, ko-naginata completely abandoned. She whimpered, tears brimming in her eyes. Guilt twisted through his stomach the split second before she screamed, _“MAMA!!” _

Making opponents live through their worst nightmare brought him no pleasure, but he’d do this a thousand times over if it meant not taking life. Pointless killing was just that, _pointless._ Keeping eye contact, he tackled Ran to the ground just as her legs buckled. A swift blow to the jaw knocked her out cold. 

Dodai checked the little kunoichi over as Kotetsu scrambled breathlessly to his feet. With a silent nod, the proctor raised a hand in Kotetsu’s direction. “The second match goes to Kotetsu Hagane.” 

Applause rose like a storm from the audience. Kotetsu’s breath caught in his throat. “I-I did it,” he mumbled in stunned awe. For a moment, he simply stood there, watching as Ran’s sensei gathered her from the arena. She looked so tiny and fragile in his arms. The man bowed his head briefly. Colour flushed Kotetsu's cheeks. He dipped quickly at the waist, returning the show of respect.

That was a Kumo jounin.

An elite shinobi from another village just acknowledged him! _Holy shit!_ Excitement bubbled up inside him as the realization finally hit him. The match was over, Kotetsu beat his opponent. He actually passed the first round!! Letting out a loud scream, the genin threw his hands in the air. “I won!!” 

Turning quickly, he searched the participants’ viewing box for his teammates. Both Izumo and Iruka yelled down to him, hand cupped around their mouths. He couldn’t make out what they said, but by the way they jumped up and down, they were clearly elated. 

Grinning, Kotetsu waved to his precious friends with both hands.

Somewhere in the stands, he was sure Inoichi-sensei and Genma were just as proud.


	11. Izumo vs Nurui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumo comes face-to-face with the consequences of his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the delay with this chapter. There's been a lot happening in life lately and fight scenes have never been my strongest point when it comes to writing. Have to do a lot of research and find references for each before I write. >.< 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy this. I'd appreciate any feedback on the action so far. Always looking for suggestions on how to improve. <3

Iruka stared pale-faced at the insect mass swarming in the arena below.

Those were the giant bees his team spotted while crossing Genbu’s back. Iruka was one-hundred and ten percent as sure of that as he was the elastic holding up his hair. An entire swarm flitted throughout the arena. The buzzing was so loud it seemed to vibrate through his chest. 

Summoning bees from Iwagakure. 

Courtesy of a kunoichi named Suzumebachi from the Kamizuru clan. 

Suppressing a shudder, Iruka silently thanked the Sage he hadn’t been paired against her in a fight. As terrifying as her drone was, nothing held a candle to the Queen Bee. Razor-sharp  _ teeth  _ snapped at her opponent like a rabid dog. Iruka visibly winched. Yeah, he definitely didn’t want to go up against Suzumebachi or her terrifying killer bees in an upcoming match. 

Kotetsu and Izumo watched in slack-jawed astonishment at his side. Their oldest teammate returned to the participants’ viewing box after his fight, much like Ameyuri Ringo had. Inoichi-sensei popped in to check on him during the ten-minute reprieval between matches. He wasn’t allowed to stick around or use medical ninjutsu to heal between fights, so their sensei simply instructed Kotetsu on how to close his own wound and watched as Izumo bandaged the half-healed laceration. 

Now, they stayed huddled together with Yurika and Natsu while the third match unfolded in the arena below. 

Surprisingly, the tiny genin from Kirigakure Suzumebachi was up against seemed to be holding his own. Mangetsu Hozuki was another dual-wielder like Ameyuri Ringo. He slashed through each of Suzumebachi’s attacks (and a few of her bee summons) with skilled ease. Blood flicked from his swords' tips to coat the grass crimson.

Suzumebachi’s temper boiled over. She let loose a series of colourful curses and a doton jutsu that buried half the arena’s meadow in upturned earth. Mangetsu liquidized straight through the soil and kneed Suzumebachi in the face. Ameyuri Ringo bursts into obnoxiously loud laughter as the kunoichi crumpled in the arena below, completely out cold. “That’s a Hozuki for you. Slippery creeps that lot is.”    
  
Iruka glanced back down at the stadium below as Dodai called the match in Mangetsu’s favour. So that ability was some kind of kekkei genkai? He'd never seen anything like it before. Iruka’s experience with clan abilities consisted of Kakashi’s transplanted sharingan, Natsu-chan's byakugan, and the Naras' shadow manipulations. Mangetsu’s ability allowed him to shift his entire body between a solid and liquid state, at will! It was beautifully terrifying.

What he wouldn’t give for a chance to talk to Mangetsu about his ability. It's a childish urge he quickly squashes. No shinobi with half a brain would openly share aspects of clan kekkei genkai with someone from another village. Still, the fascination was there. If Iruka was lucky enough to witness Mangetsu’s next round, maybe he’d use the water ability again-

“I… guess it’s my turn now.” Izumo's strained words cut through his thoughts.

Iruka reached out for a pale-faced Izumo silently. Nothing he said would ease his teammate at this point, so he just tried to be there for the older boy by placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Kotetsu hugged their friend tightly. 

Iruka already knew Izumo would do his best. Whether that was enough or not, well only time would tell. 

* * *

Izumo shouldn’t be this nervous. There was no reason to fret this much. He was already standing in the arena for Shodai's sake. The exams were happening. His team made it  _ this far _ on their first try. Even if he didn’t advance any farther, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Gen’s already proud of them. He’s sure Inoichi-sensei will be pleased as long as he does his best. Kotetsu and Iruka won’t hold it against him if he loses his first match. They were flying blind here really.

So why?  _ Why?  _ Couldn't he get his hands to stop  _ shaking?  _

_ Why was his opponent leaking Killing Intent like a broken faucet?  _

“What the fuck are you gawking at?” There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the Kumo genin standing across from him. Brown hair, brown eyes, standard high-collared uniform. What was his name again? A quick glance at the teleprompter answered the question. 

_ Nurui of Kumogakure.  _

After Konoha, Kumo had the highest number of genin make it to the finals. 

Nothing about Nurui caught his attention, but the unassuming ones were often the most deadly. At least, that’s what Gen always told him. On his team, _Kotetsu_ was the bombastic front line fighter, not him. Would he be considered unassuming as well? 

While Izumo had some big suiton jutsu under his belt, they took up the majority of his limited chakra. That's why he relied on his senbon whenever necessary. He needed to save his trump card and pace himself if he wanted anything left in his tank for future fights- 

_ Focus on what’s in front of you, Izumo Kamizuki.  _

Biting the inside of his cheek, the genin squared his shoulders towards his opponent. He couldn’t get ahead of himself again. Planning for the second match was pointless if he didn’t win this one first. “Just mentally preparing myself is all.” 

The scowl Nurui shot his way raised the genin’s hackles.  _ What the-?  _ Why was this kid so hostile? This was a tournament match, not a mission. They had to fight, but that didn’t give any reason for such unprovoked aggression. 

Nurui fixed his hitai-ate so the cloud symbol showed clearly through his thick bangs. “Why? Are you going to try to kill me too?” 

The question dropped like a weight to the pit of Izumo’s stomach. Everything seemed to stutter to a stop around him.  _ What?  _ Eyes wide, he stared at the Nurui in utter disbelief. Involuntarily, he stepped back. “W-What?” Mind reeling, he struggled to come up with a logical reason for  _ why  _ this genin could possibly think he wanted their match to go that way- 

_ No.  _

Oh, no, no, no. 

Nurui, h-he couldn’t be… _could he? _

One hand clamped over Izumo’s mouth in a desperate bid to keep from screaming. 

The team from Genbu’s forest-

_ Kotetsu hit the tree, crumpled like a ragdoll to the earth, unmoving, not breathing. He wasn’t breathing. They’d go after Iruka next, his precious people, dead again, not again, never again. He can’t- won’t- no. No. No.no.no.no.no. _

** _NO!!!_ **

-they were just unconscious, nothing more. He hadn’t  _ -he wouldn’t- _ not like that. His Wild Vortex Jutsu wasn’t that strong. He couldn’t possibly have- 

_Have..._

The shaking started small. Izumo felt it in his hands as they clenched into his pant legs.  _ “I-I didn’t…”  _ The protest dies on his lips. His team didn’t stick around to check. They just… took off without looking back, anxious to get any amount of distance between them and the other genin. He assumed- 

_'Assumptions are a dangerous thing for a shinobi to make', _ Inoichi-sensei’s voice rang through his mind like an avenging spirit. 

“You kill my teammates with that fucking water jutsu!” An accusatory figure pointed straight at Izumo’s face. “Now you’re going to pay.” 

White noise filled Izumo's head. For a moment, the world went dark. A scream high above sent a jolt rushing through him. A clash of metal and then- 

The world moved again. 

-Nurui glared, their faces only inches apart, dark eyes overflowing with hatred. When did he move? Had Dodai started the match? 

Air displaced to his left. Izumo ducked on reflex alone. A kunai whizzed overhead, shaving off a few strands of hair. Kicking out, Izumo’s foot connected with the Kumo genin’s stomach. Grunting, Nurui momentarily fumbled. It was enough for Izumo to put a bit of distance between them with a backwards leap. 

The Kumo genin openly snarled. Planting his feet shoulder-width apart, he yanked a whip from his weapon holster. Unfurling the thick, black leather, Nurui spun it over his head and snapped it at Izumo. He ducked and rolled, barely getting out of the way in time. The whip struck a tree to his left. The trunk exploded in wooden shards. 

Izumo’s face paled as he sprang to his feet, senbon held firmly between his fingers. “That's chakra!”    
  
His opponent laced his whip with chakra!

Stepping forward, Nurui twisted the whip around, flicking it at Izumo’s feet. It forced him to dance back, lest it connected with his ankles. A direct blow from that thing held enough force to break his foot. Jumping over a particularly hard whip snap, Izumo twisted mid-air and let his senbon fly. 

Nurui deflected the senbon with his arm guard. The whip flicked up, catching Izumo in the chin mid-jump. Pain flared through his lower face. The taste of copper filled his mouth. Crap, he bit his tongue! Izumo stumbled back with a sharp cry, fumbling for a kunai to protect himself. 

“Come on! You can do better than that,  _ Murderer!”  _ Nurui snarled. Blue chakra blazed through the whip, manipulating and melding the conductive leather into a loop. 

No, a  _ lasso.  _

Izumo spit out blood. He had to  _ cut it _ or something,  _ anything _ before he got caught-

With a cry, Nurui snapped the lasso at his wrist. Pushing chakra into the kunai like Genma showed him to, Izumo swung for the leather. Foreign chakra flared against his hand. The lasso caught around his wrist and yanked. His arm forcefully locked. Nurui’s elbow connected with the large nerve just below his wrist. Izumo’s kunai went flying.

Moving with the forward momentum, Izumo went low and swept his opponent's feet out from under him. Nurui went down hard. The lasso loosened enough for Izumo to jerk free, but Nurui was already recovering. He caught the punch aimed at his nose and parried the kick Izumo tried connecting with his ribs. 

The lasso came at him again. Izumo moved to block it with his shoulder- 

The thick leather shot right by him and went taut.

-a sharp pain suddenly stabbed deep between his shoulder blades. Izumo barely bit back a scream. _His kunai. _Nurui caught his kunai with the damn whip. 

Thick leather caught around his throat before Izumo could recover and pulled so hard black spots obscured his vision. The genin’s fingers automatically dug into the lasso, yanking at the chakra-laced hide as he tried to breathe. 

“How’s it feel to suffocate?” Nurui snarled, almost feral in his anger. “This is the last thing my teammates experienced before you killed them.”

Guilt clawed at his insides. Tears brimmed in his eyes. Izumo didn’t mean to kill them. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. 

_ But Kotetsu and Iruka.  _

His teammates had been in danger. The image of Kotetsu crumpling to the ground played through his mind like a broken record stuck on loop. He heard that sickening crunch and Kotetsu’s scream when he tried to sleep at night. 

“I-I…” Izumo dug his fingers into the leather, hands trembling from the exertion. “My t-team…” They would’ve died if he hadn't stepped in when he did. Chakra slowly built in Izumo’s palms. The muscles flexed as he reinforced them with chakra and pulled at the leather constricting his airway. “I’d do it again to save my team!”

Surprise flickered over Nurui’s face before it dissolved into pure animosity. That split second was all Izumo needed to yank himself free. Nurui spun the lasso in a large arc and flung it back at him in a blind rage. Izumo twisted into a spin and dove right through the loop. He landed in a tucked roll, poisoned senbon already clutched between his fingers.

Izumo flung his senbon at his opponent. Nurui dodged three and blocked two more with his arm guard, but the last hit its intended target. The senbon punctured a pressure point in Nurui’s neck. The Kumo genin let out a small squawk as his muscles tensed and he dropped to the ground. 

Rising slowly from his crouched position, Izumo walked over to the twitching genin. He held out one of his senbon for Nurui to see. “It’s a paralysis poison my guardian showed me how to make. Non-lethal, but fast-acting. It’ll take a few hours to wear off.” 

Nurui’s face contorted and pinched with anger. A furious growl rumbled in the back of his throat, but the paralysis poison prevented him from speaking. 

“It won’t fix anything and I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I’m truly sorry for your friends. I didn’t intend for this to happen. I’ll carry their deaths with me for the rest of my life.” Izumo’s hands quivered as he clenched them into fists. Tears brimmed in his eyes. “But I can’t  _ -I won’t- _ regret what happened. You could’ve killed my best friend with that damn log. I’ll protect my precious people no matter what.” 

Izumo always thought he’d kill to keep Kotetsu safe. Now he knew that was true. 

Dodai crouched over Nurui for a moment, then motioned to him with a wave of his hand. “The fourth match goes to Izumo Kamizuki of Konoha.” 


	12. Iruka vs Maki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka steps into the arena for his first match against an opponent that might pull the wool over his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter was a long time coming. Sorry about that. Life, sickness and writer's block got in the way. I struggled with this one. It was with the encouragement of some wonderful friends and several writing sprints that this finally got written. 
> 
> I hope it was worth the wait.
> 
> TW: Waterboarding

With both his teammates having won their first matches, all Iruka could do was sit back and try not to let his mounting anxiety eat his stomach from the inside out. Waiting like this was nerve-wracking. Kotetsu and Izumo stayed close to him, though their own fights had taken a toll -both mentally and physically.

_Especially on Izumo._

He wasn’t despondent, as both Iruka and Kotetsu feared he would be, but he was definitely shaken. Izumo didn’t cry, but something shifted in the depth of those dark eyes. Something fundamentally _Izumo_ was broken, but Iruka had no clue how to help his friend.

Kotetsu wrapped his arms around Izumo’s shoulders, squeezing tightly to help ground their teammate.

The only thing Iruka could think to do was hold Izumo’s hand tightly. He only partly watched as a massive Iwagakure genin completely decimated his opponent in the next match. It was over so fast. All it took was a few well-placed, earth-shaking punches to send a Suna genin flying into the wall. He stuck in a crater five feet above the treeline and had to be fished out by the medics.

“Oh boy, Monga’s on fire today!”

Iruka felt his throat go dry. If he won his first match, he would be up against that monster in the next round. It was almost enough to make him back out now. 

Kotetsu’s hand squeezed his shoulder hard. “Iruka, you’re trembling.” 

He drew in a sharp breath and forced himself to exhale slowly. There was no point in getting nervous. Inoichi-sensei, Kakashi, Gai-san, Ibiki-senpai, Genma-senpai… Iruka couldn’t let them down, not after all they'd done to prepare him for this very moment.

His teammates had already passed their rounds. Now-

“Maki of Sunagakure and Iruka Umino of Konohagakure,” rang out Dodai’s voice. “Please step into the arena.” 

-it was his time to shine.

* * *

Iruka didn’t expect her to be so petite. That willowy figure and short stature made it seem like a strong wind would knock her over. That most likely wasn’t the case. Misjudging an opponent based on their physical appearance was a surefire way to get himself eliminated. 

That scowl and set gaze radiated determination. Oh no, Maki of Sunagakure was no fragile kunoichi. She wouldn’t have gotten this far in the competition if she was. 

Iruka dropped into a ready stance, his right hand hovering less than a foot from his weapon holster. His fingers itched for something to defend himself with- a kunai, shuriken, _ anything- _ but he couldn’t. Not until Dodai gave the signal. 

The anticipation left nerves buzzing just beneath his skin. Adrenaline was an energy boost he didn’t need compounding the anxiety sitting heavily in his gut. 

Dodai glanced between the two and raised his hand. “Begin!”

Yanking a kunai from his holster, Iruka sent it flying right at Maki. She dodged to the left and pulled a scroll from a holster on her hip. Shit, was she trying to summon an animal? 

The memory of Suzumebachi’s massive bees was still too fresh. He wasn’t letting her have the chance to bring something like that onto the battlefield.

Iruka's fingers folded through familiar hand seals like they were second nature: tiger, ox, tiger, rat. “Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu.” Chakra churned in Iruka’s stomach the split second before he expelled a powerful water jetstream from his mouth. 

Maki tossed the scroll to the side. It rolled open along the ground. Her hands clasped into dragon, tiger and hare seals in quick succession. “Suiton: Wild Water Wave!” 

The two torrents crashed together, but it became quickly apparent Iruka’s was stronger. Maki wasn’t trying to win the suiton clash though. She ducked into a roll, one small hand slamming down on the unrolled scroll. “Release!” 

A thick, purple smog filled the arena.

_ Smokescreen. _

Iruka couldn’t help but grin. He knew exactly how to handle this. Pulling a few smoke bombs out, he threw them onto the ground. The properties of his opponent’s smokescreen were unknown. He didn’t know if she could see him through the smog or not. Best to give himself some cover of his own. 

Pulling another kunai to keep himself covered, Iruka closed his eyes and started pushing his chakra towards his ears. No sooner had he started to pick out minute sounds -vague images of the arena’s layout beginning to form behind his ears- than something wrapped firmly around his ankle. 

He swiped at it on instinct. His kunai sheared through something that offered less resistance than he expected. Iruka leapt back, putting some distance between himself and whatever grabbed him. Part of it was still swathed around his foot. It didn’t hurt, but restricted his movements almost like a-  
  
Like a bandage? 

Iruka leapt into the trees, working his way above the smokescreen. A quick perimeter check showed no sign of Maki. Taking the opportunity, he glanced down at his foot. Dark eyes widened in surprise. Was that _ cloth? _No, it couldn’t be.

What kind of kunoichi used bedsheets as a weapon? 

Iruka tugged at the white material. It was surprisingly soft but stayed firmly in place. It _ was _cloth. Some sort of white, cotton material if he had to guess. Carefully, he slipped the tip of his kunai into the wrappings and jerked it down. Chakra sizzles to life, repelling the sharp edge of his kunai. 

Wait a minute.

_ This was binding cloth. _

He remembered vaguely reading about a very small fraction of Sunagakure shinobi that used binding cloth as a weapon. It was rarer than fuuinjutsu and extremely hard to manipulate. His respect for Maki increased tenfold. 

Down below, the smokescreen began to dissipate. Maki stood completely out in the open, holding a massive roll of cloth. It was so large, her arms barely fit around it. (How someone that petite hefted something like _ that _ around, Iruka would never know.) The end rippled around her like a snake, as if responding to her very will. It was more likely infused with Maki’s chakra, but the visual was eerie enough to be unnerving.

Maki didn’t try to conceal herself. Those grey eyes scanned the trees. Her lips curved into a determined grin when she finally spotted him. “There you are!” 

The cloth rippled for a split second, then launched at him with blinding speed. Iruka barely leapt out of the way in time. He bound into the closest tree, chakra sticking his feet to the bark. The cloth twisted mid-air and shot after him again. Iruka dropped down a branch, spun around a second and dodged into a third with the chakra-controlled cloth tight on his heels. 

It weaved through the tree like a massive spider web. Before he knew it, Iruka ran out of trees. Launching himself off the last available branch, Iruka’s hands came together in an ox and then ram sign. “Katon Dan!” Iruka felt the familiar tang of chakra-produced oil hit his tongue in the split second before he blew a massive fireball at the cloth. 

It ignited like dry straw. 

Maki’s grin faltered.

Her hands flew through the seals for another suiton jutsu. Water doused the quickly spreading flames. This time, Iruka grinned. Her attention was completely on her burning cloth. It bought him the time he needed. 

Iruka could end this here and now.

His feet hit the ground and Iruka charged head-first at Maki. Her eyes widened when she noticed him coming. Bracing herself, she spun the gigantic roll of cloth around, aiming to hit Iruka with it like a battering ram. He ducked beneath the blow, two sealing tags in hand. He slapped them onto Maki’s feet, rolling into a dodge just before the roll of cloth came down on his head. 

Maki turned, cloth whipping around her head like a lasso before flying after him. Iruka landed on his knees, hands clasping together in a tiger seal. "Activate!" His chakra flared just as the cloth struck him _ hard _ in the chest. The impact’s force sent him skidding along the ground. 

“Cloth Binding Jutsu!”

For the first time since their match began, panic shot up Iruka’s spine. He grabbed huge fists full of the cloth, yanking as hard as he could. A vain attempt to get himself free. Once the cloth latched on, it refused to budge. The material wound around his torso, twining down over his hips and legs. 

Maki’s chakra seeped from the material and raked over his limbs -abrasive and uncomfortable. His legs locked together, one arm catching to his chest and the other at his side. Damn it, she caught him! The more Iruka struggled, the tighter the binding became. All he managed to do was roll onto his stomach as the cloth enveloped him in a deathly swaddle. 

“Heh, finally got you, slippery little worm.” Iruka could see the Suna kunoichi’s grin return out of the corner of his eye. He bit his bottom lip, not daring to breathe. “Now to finish this.” Hefting the roll of binding cloth onto her shoulder, Maki pulled a kunai from her thigh holster. She went to take a step and almost lost her balance. “Wh-What the?” 

Maki’s face scrunched up in confusion. She tugged at her feet -first one foot and then the other- trying to make them move. Both remained stuck fast to the ground. 

Iruka's face split into a shit-eating grin.

She wailed her frustration, pulling at her feet again. “What did you do to me?!” 

Iruka motioned to her feet by jutting out his chin. “Check it out.” He could see the seals shining bright red, even from several feet away. 

Maki’s head jerked back down to her feet. Her face flickered through a myriad of expressions in rapid succession -shock, disbelief, anger, then acceptance. “So now we’re both immobilized. So what? Do you think this will stop me? All you did was buy yourself a bit of time.”

Iruka squirmed in his bindings, not bothering to respond to her. She was right. They were both bound tightly, though his predicament was much worse than hers. His gambit to end this match quickly backfired on him. How was he going to get himself out of this mess now? 

_ Think, Iruka, think. _There had to be something he could do. After all that training, the vast variety of skills he’d picked up since becoming a genin. There had to be one thing-

_ Oh. _

Would that work?

No, it couldn’t. But maybe? His left hand was bound in a fist against his thigh. If he could just…

Ever so slowly, he started wiggling his hand. Iruka schooling his facial features into a neutral expression as he worked. He couldn’t draw attention to what he was trying to do, not if he wanted this long-shot to have the slightest chance at success. 

Using one-handed seals wasn’t something he’d tried before. He’d only seen _ Kakashi _try it a few times. It was a technique not widely used as it made jutsu volatile and harder to control.

In a situation like this, it was his only choice.

Maki valiantly attempted to get her feet unstuck from the earth. She tried pushing chakra into the sealing tags to disrupt the flow of Iruka’s chakra powering them, but it had no effect.

Meanwhile, Iruka managed to uncurl his index finger and thumb into a tiger seal. 

Next, Maki used a kunai to try peeling the seals off her feet. That only succeeded in getting her kunai stuck to her sandals. 

Iruka wiggled his wrist a bit more, forcing it to flex unnaturally into a boar sign. Pain shot up his arm. Iruka bit the inside of his cheek, doing his best to ignore it. 

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Maki scooped up a handful of dirt and rubbed it into the seal. An attempt at smudging the ink wasn’t a bad idea, but the dirt just stuck to the seal as well, effectively covering over the base seals she’d been trying to disrupt. 

Keeping his wrist flexed, Iruka worked his middle and ring fingers until he managed to curl them towards his palm. He felt the ox seal form just as his hand started to cramp painfully and shake from the exertion. Each restricted, tight movement sent throbbing jolts of pain up his arm. Damn, would he be able to make it?

Maki’s exasperation mounted until she ended up unlatching her shinobi sandals and prying her feet from them bare. She turned on him, fury darkening her grey eyes. “You’re going to pay for that, you irritating little brat!” 

The cloth binding him started to move again, quickly wrapping up his throat. Iruka’s face paled. Oh no, no, no, no, no. He was so close, just a bit more time- 

The cloth covered Iruka’s face. The world went black just as his fingers straightened into a dog sign. Just one more. He could do this. He could-

“Suiton: Wild Water Wave.” 

The water hit Iruka’s covered face in a powerful jet, blocking off his nose and mouth. He gasped, flailing as his airway was obstructed by the water. It trickled into his nose and down his throat, making him cough, splutter and gasp. Iruka thrashed, fear gripping him from the inside out, cold and unforgiving, like frigid ice. 

His body tensed and shook, lungs constricting as Iruka tried not to panic. How the heck was he supposed to get out of this? He couldn’t breathe! Was Maki trying to kill him?!

Was he going to die here?

Iruka’s hand shook violently as he forced his fingers to curl in a last, desperate effort. 

The dog seal formed. 

The violent yank of his chakra was almost euphoric. Iruka felt the rush as he hit the ground on his hands and knees. He gasped large gulps of air that left his lungs burning. Tears brimmed in his eyes and his soaked bangs clinging to his face. 

Somewhere behind him, Maki cursed in anger. 

The cloth came crashing through the underbrush. In pure desperation, Iruka threw himself into the trees. Konoha shinobi practically grew up in the forests surrounding their village. It was second nature -comforting in a way. Iruka’s chakra fluctuated in the soles of his feet, his limbs still trembling from the near-drowning.

Once more, he found himself ducking and weaving from branch to branch with the cloth on his heels. Iruka knew he couldn’t keep running like he was -playing this exhausting game of cat and mouth. He needed to end this damn match before it ended him! 

He fingered another seal tag from his supply pouch. No, using _ that _ would take careful planning. It was too risky right now. Iruka needed something to take her out fast. A final gambit, an all for nothing. 

Grabbing a smoke bomb, he dodged the cloth and slammed it into the tree trunk he was currently perched on. His hands still shook as he formed a tiger seal and shunshined behind her. She sensed him almost immediately, but Iruka had the small opening he needed. 

His fingers curled slightly, muscles tensing almost automatically after all the taijutsu training he’d done with Gai-senpai the last two years. With a fluid swing of his arm, Iruka struck Maki’s nape hard. 

A surprised squeak slipped past her lips. Maki’s body tensed, the binding cloth dropping with a thud to her feet. Slowly, she crumpled to the ground, half slouched over the massive roll. Iruka stumbled back a few steps. His hand throbbed from the blow, but it did the trick. Maki didn’t move. Was she unconscious or just trying to get him to let his guard down?

Several minutes passed in tense silence as Iruka barely managed to keep on his feet. After what felt like forever, the proctor finally approached. Iruka watched with bated breath as Dodai pressed two fingers to the pulse point of Maki’s neck. He hummed, then nodded and raised his hand in Iruka’s direction. 

“The winner of the sixth match is Iruka Umino of Konohagakure.”

Iruka barely heard the roar of applause over his own pounding heartbeat. “I-I won…?”

He actually won?

Giddy laughter bubbled up his throat and he turned towards the cheering spectators. Everything was a jumbled blur in an endless sea of faces and noise. Somewhere up there, his precious people were all watching.

_ Did I make you proud, Kakashi? _


	13. The Bracket's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Iruka's first battle. Bracket One comes to a close.

Stumbling back into the participants’ viewing box took more effort than Iruka was ready to admit. He used too much chakra against Maki. The knowledge sat uncomfortably with him. That’s what he got for trying to end things quickly. He underestimated his opponent’s readiness and it bit him square in the butt. 

Kakashi wouldn’t be sympathetic. Iruka could almost picture the older teen -arms crossed, brow furrowed, the skin around his visible eye tightened.  _ Disappointment.  _ His stomach sank. There was nothing worse than letting Kakashi down, than letting _any_ of his loved ones down. Especially after all the individualized training he’d received from his precious people over the last few years.

Somehow, he still scraped out a win. 

A horribly clunky, down-to-the-wire win, but a win nonetheless.

Kotetsu tackled him as soon as he came up the stairs. “Holy cow, Ruka. That was insane! How the heck did you use a jutsu all tied up like that?” 

Iruka took a step back so he wouldn’t lose his balance under the older genin’s weight. His shoulders sagged a bit as he leaned into the hug. “Uh well, the thing is...”

Neither Kakashi nor Inoichi-sensei would be too happy about him using one-handed jutsu signs without the proper training. It was a volatile method that made control difficult, and something he’d only seen Kakashi use a handful of times. He was lucky it didn’t backfire in his face- 

“You did that one handed, didn’t you?” 

Iruka winced. He figured Izumo would be upset with his little stunt, but he didn’t expect his friend to sound so angry. “...I did,” he admitted slowly. 

Izumo’s brows dipped in a frown. “Iruka! What were you thinking? That jutsu could’ve backfired in your face!”

“He didn’t have a choice,” Kotetsu shot back.

“That’s not the point and you know it, Ko,” Izumo countered. He grabbed the younger genin’s arm, checking him over quickly. Besides the bits of binding cloth still stuck to his ankle, a wet head and low chakra-reserves, Iruka was okay.

Considering the mistakes he made, Iruka was lucky he didn't sustain serious injuries during his fight with Maki. If his opponent had been more skilled -someone like Kakashi- he would’ve been dead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Izumo’s dark eyes were hard when they met Iruka’s. “We’re shinobi, we do what we have to.” There was still something off in his gaze, something almost frantic and fractured. 

“Izumo…” Iruka’s stomach sank. Izumo took a life. That wasn't something he or Kotetsu had to grapple with yet. 

The older genin just shook his head and hugged Iruka tightly. “We can’t have each others’ backs all the time. Just, keep that in mind, please?” 

Iruka buried his face in Izumo’s shoulder as Kotetsu squished them both into a tight hug. “I will.” 

* * *

Inoichi-sensei came to check on him and Izumo during the next match.

Crossing his arms over his chest, their jounin sensei looked Iruka up and down. “I don’t know if I should be impressed or angry with that little stunt you pulled. Did Kakashi teach it to you?” The look on his face made Iruka squirm.

The genin scratched his scar sheepishly. “Not really? I’ve seen Kakashi use one-handed jutsu a few times and it isn’t hard to figure out the concept behind the application…”   
  
“So you thought you’d give it a try.”

Iruka nodded, his gaze dropping to the arena below. Dodai just called for the next match to begin. “I didn’t have anything to lose.” Maki tried to drown him, so killing  _ himself _ with the unperfected maneuver wasn’t at the forefront of his mind.

His teacher must have come to the same conclusion. Instead of pushing the subject farther, Inoichi-sensei sighed and placed a warm hand on Iruka’s shoulder. “If I teach you how to perform the technique properly, will you promise not to use it again until you complete the training?”

That caught him off-guard. Iruka stared up at his jounin sensei, eyes wide. “Really? You will?” 

“I will. Now keep an eye on the match. Assess their skills. Start formulating counter strategies. Either could be your opponent in the upcoming brackets.” 

Iruka tired his best, but in the end, he only half paid attention. If it wasn’t Natsu-chan’s match, he probably would have zoned out completely. The adrenaline from his own bout had worn off, leaving Iruka exhausted and aching. 

What he wouldn’t do for a cat nap right about now...

But Inoichi-sensei gave an order, and Natsu was a fellow Kononha shinobi. An ally -one he hoped would become a friend once they were back home. Iruka wanted her to do well.

The match didn’t go in her favour. 

Her opponent, a genin from Kumogakure named Darui, had the upper hand from the very beginning. He quickly took control of the match, beating Natsu down with taijutsu alone. Even with her byakugan activated, she couldn’t find an opening. Darui’s building speed and raw strength overpowered the petite Hyuuga. 

Dodai called the match less than three minutes after it began. 

Iruka, Izumo and Kotetsu watched with heavy hearts as Natsu -with her jounin sensei at her side- was taken from the ring on a stretcher.

Yurika whined loudly beside them. She half hung over the railing, hands tightening on the metal bar as she strained to see her teammate. “First Santa and now Natsu? My teammates both got their butts handed to them.” She slouched, all the confident bluster she exhibited up until then seeming to leave her at once. 

Kotetsu thumbed her on the back. “You’ll have to avenge them by winning your own match,” he pointed out, trying to boost her morale. 

"Do you have any idea who I'm up against?"

Kotetsu glanced around the viewing box. Only one other genin hadn't been in a match yet. "Uh, the blond over there?" 

"Yeah, he's a medic."

"So?"

The kunoichi squinted at him sideways. “Have  _ you _ ever fought a field medic?” 

Their teammate shot him and Izumo a questioning look. “I mean, I’m studying to be our team’s medic while on missions, so...?” 

Yurika barked out a laugh. “So am I, but that’s not the same thing. A field medic is a shinobi that specializes in medical ninjutsu. They don't just pick it up for the benefit of their team like we did. They’re medics purposefully assigned to a team.”

Kotetsu puffed out his cheeks. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She nodded to the blond genin as he jumped into the ring and landed at Dodai’s side. Another Kumo shinobi. The four Konoha genin watched him exchange several words with Darui and check the other boy over with a critical eye. 

He didn’t heal Darui, but he didn’t need to for Iruka to make the connection. “He’s going to be trouble, isn't he?” 

“Damn right he's going to be a pain in the keister.” Yurika's eyes stayed fixed on the blond. “Cee of Kumogakure, my opponent for the last round.”

Izumo pressed his lips into a thin line. “Think you can beat him?” 

The kunoichi shook her head. “I don’t know, honestly. Our teams ran into each other by accident on a delivery mission to the Land of Hot Water a few months ago. He can self-heal.” Yurika didn’t elaborate farther, but her furrowed brows spoke volumes.

Iruka patted her shoulder, trying to offer even the smallest bit of comfort. “Just do your best. That’s all we can ask.” 

Yurika’s brown eyes shifted to the crowd. Was her brother watching with the rest of their entourage? For her sake, Iruka hoped so. “Yeah, you’re right, Iruka-kun…”   


“If not, there’s always next time, right?” Izumo pointed out.

She shrugged. “I guess so. I need to be a chunin to work with the Cryptology team though, so I'd like to get it done and over with if I can.” 

Iruka exchanged a look with his teammates. That was a rather surprising tidbit of information. “You want to work for Intelligence?” 

The Cryptology team was a small subsection of the Konoha Intelligence Division. Other branches included Torture & Interrogation and the Analysis Team. The Konoha Aviary and Barrier Team's headquarters were outliers under the same umbrella. All five departments worked together under the careful oversight of Inoichi-sensei. 

It was a vast network of diligent, skilled shinobi with high intelligence and drive work ethics. Yurika Fuma’s  _ bombastic _ personality didn’t quite fit the image of an Intelligence operative. 

“Heck yeah!” She perked up, her demeanour brightening. “There’s nothing quite as intellectually stimulating as deciphering codes. I might as well profit from my hobby. Get a position I’ll enjoy, you know?” 

“Uh yeah,” Iruka half-heartedly agreed. He'd never considered his long-term goals as a shinobi. Not beyond making chunin and getting stronger. He wanted to support himself and his friends  _ -his family.  _ What specifically was that supposed to entail? He was almost fourteen now. At his age, Kakashi was an ANBU operative. 

Perhaps it was time to start considering something more concrete. A specialty maybe? Fuuinjutsu like his mother? His futton maybe? Tokubetsu Jounin made rank with a high-skilled proficiency- 

“Well, here goes nothing.” Yurika clambered up onto the railing. “Wish me luck boys.” Balancing there for a moment, she leapt down into the arena below. 

Iruka settled against the safety rail between his teammates to cheer for Yurika since her teammates weren’t able to do so. 

She landed gracefully across from Cee and just like that, the fight began. 

The combatants jumped back, putting space between them. Cee headed immediately for the trees. Finding cover against an unknown opponent was shinobi battle strategy at its basics, but a tactic often used by medical-nin. They weren’t allowed on the frontlines of battle. That was one rule of four that governed medics across the continent. 

Iruka wasn’t sure exactly how a dedicated medic fought with that limitation. 

“Not so fast, buster!” Yurika yelled after him. Pulling a small scroll from her weapons’ pouch, she bit her thumb. Blood smudged the scroll with a quick swipe. A puff of smoke temporarily restricted vision in the arena below. Squinting, Iruka leaned forward, trying to spot Cee or Yurika through the smoke. 

A strange _whirring_ sound caught his attention. Two large fuma-shuriken broke clear of the smoke and curved into view at a sharp arc. They sliced through a ring of trees, toppling them like dominoes. Cee leapt into the air, twisting into a fancy, elaborate flip. He landed in a tucked roll and sprung back to his feet nimbly. 

The fuma shuriken lodged into the arena’s western wall with enough force to crack the concrete several feet from the point of contact. 

More smoke billowed up around Yurika from the massive weapon summons. Fuma-shuriken after fuma-shuriken hurled at Cee from the cover of the smoke, each twisting and bending at increasingly creative angles. 

Cee dodged every one in a series of beautiful flips and bends. It almost looked like he danced through the air. A few close calls had the weapons’ razor sharp spines graze an arm or a leg. The Kumo medic healed each with a quick swipe of glowing, green hands. 

_ The Mystic Palm Technique.  _

Iruka’s eyes widened. He never saw anyone use it in the middle of a battle before. Cee did it so effectively, it looked flawless. Not a single movement or ouch of chakra wasted. 

He slowly closed the distance between him and Yurika. Fuma-shuriken lined the arena walls behind him. 

“Enough playing around.” The green chakra around his hands sharpened suddenly into chakra scalpels. Bounding off the next fuma-shuriken Yurika threw at him, Cee dove straight into the middle of the smokescreen. 

As the smog cleared, Cee ducked beneath a roundhouse kick Yurika aimed at his head. She grasped a fuma-shuriken with both hands, using it to block the sharp precision of Cee’s chakra scalpels. A strange, sizzling clang rang through the arena as metal struck sharpened chakra over and over again. 

Yurika handled the massive fuma-shuriken like an extension of her own body. Each twist and swing was tight and precise. No movement was excessive or a second wasted. She pushed the larger boy back to the centre of the arena, slowly recovering the ground she lost. 

They exchanged blow for blow. Cee blocked every swing with his chakra scalpels and nimble dodging. Yurika countered with the disk of her massive shuriken, alternating between using it as both a shield and a weapon. 

Iruka held his breath, his grip on the railing tight enough to turn his knuckles white. Minutes dragged by as the two clashed below. 

Neither gave an inch.

“It’s a stalemate,” Izumo commented.

“Something has to give, they can’t keep this up forever,” Kotetsu pointed out. 

He was right. Their movements slowly started to lag as the exertion got to them. Yurika’s swings weren’t as fast. Cee didn’t quite block as effectively. The drawn out battle took its toll on the genin and-

Iruka eyes widened. He grabbed Izumo’s sleeve, pointing to Yurika. "Look." 

_-their weapons._ Yurika’s was cracking ever so slightly beneath the repeated chakra-laced impacts. She spun, putting all her weight into a heavy blow. Cee raised his arm to block, blue chakra blazing over his hand and along his forearm from wrist to elbow. Her fuma-shuriken struck his arm guard between two points and split in half. 

Yurika was left holding the pieces. Her jaw dropped, surprise etched across her face in the split second before Cee kicked her legs out from beneath her. 

Iruka bit the inside of his cheek. 

“Shit,” Kotetsu cursed to his left. “He got her.” 

Yurika hit the ground with a chakra scalpel pressed to her jugular. Iruka watched the young kunoichi sigh and slowly hold up her hands. The broken pieces of her fuma-shuriken hit the grass. “...You got me. I know when I’m beat. I forfeit.”

Dodai called the match to a roar of fanfare from the spectators. Iruka swallowed hard. Just like that, all of Team Kakoi was eliminated. He, Izumo and Kotetsu were the only ones left to represent Konoha and the second bracket was sure to be more difficult than the first.

Iruka barely defeated Maki. The upcoming fights would be the ultimate test of his skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had all of this chapter except like, the three last paragraphs written for well over a month and I couldn't figure out how to end it. T-T Gah, I'm so sorry. I hope you all enjoy this update. 
> 
> Round two, here we come!


End file.
